KONAKLI

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Between the waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the peaks of the Taurus Mountains, not far from the city of Alanya, lies the town of Konakli. In the late Roman period, the town of Augae stood here. Its ruins are located in the vicinity of Konakli. The capital of the Seljuk Empire was Konya, and the then sultan, Alaattin Keykubat, had it connected by road to Alanya. On this new important trade route, the settlement of Şarapsa emerged around the year 1100. In the 13th century, Sultan Giyaseddin Keyhüsrev II had a Kervansaray, an oriental inn, built on this road. This was a resting place for trade caravans transporting goods along the Silk Road from China to Anatolia. The building is known as Şarapsa Han and is one of the most significant landmarks of Konakli. After several centuries, the name Şarapsa changed to Telatiye and in 1992 to Konakli.

We intended to go to Konakli by the green bus of the Nox Inn Deluxe Hotel [timetable]. Unfortunately, it didn't arrive. However, the hotel arranged for Line 50 to stop directly in front of the reception. Unfortunately, it was already full, and there were many interested people from the hotel. The bus was packed to the doors, so we didn't even attempt to get on. At the reception, we ordered a taxi. A total of ten people were interested, and we all fit into a 9-person car, including the driver. The driver charged us € 2,00 per person, which was worth it for him and for us. The bus fare would have been € 1,00. The taxi dropped us near the Bazaar, which was currently taking place. After exploring the Bazaar, buying clothes, and other small items, we walked to Istiklal Caddesi. This street ran parallel to the Bazaar. We planned to use it to get to the Payallar area, where the main attractions of Konakli are located.

On the left side stood the Öztürkler Camii mosque. We looked around and then continued in the opposite direction along Istiklal Caddesi. It led us to the pedestrian zone in the Payallar district. There were nice fountains on both sides. The pedestrian zone led us to Ertugrul Gazi Caddesi, which was also a pedestrian zone. At the beginning of both the left and right branches, there were vase-shaped fountains with white and yellow flowers, under which there were smaller vases. Water fell from above into these vases and flowed into the fountain below. From the fountain, there was a tree-lined promenade leading to the mosque, and on the other side, the same promenade led to the clock tower and another mosque. First, we headed to the Bacoglu Cami mosque. It is a large white building with four domes and four minarets. It was opened after a long period of construction in 2013 with a traditional wedding ceremony. In the evening, the mosque is illuminated with emerald green light.

After the promenade, we headed in the opposite direction and walked all the way to the end of the second branch of the promenade. At its end stood a white statue of two horses standing on pedestals on their hind legs facing each other. Next to the statue was the Mahmut Saf Cami mosque. In front of the statue stood the Saat Kulesi, the clock tower, which displayed the time in several world cities. Next to the tower was a fountain. After exploring the tower, we went to the Neva outlet, in front of which was a bus stop for bus number 50, called dolmuş. This bus connects Konakli and Alanya. The first one departs from Konakli at 6:10 AM, and the last one at midnight. From Alanya, the first one departs at 6:50 AM, and the last one at 1:00 AM. The frequency is every 8 minutes. The fare is paid to the driver upon disembarking, and the price is ₺ 15,00 for a trip within Konakli, ₺ 25,00 for a trip from Konakli to Alanya, or a flat fare of € 1,00 or $ 1,00. Before the stops, the driver announces the names of the nearest hotels [timetable].

Shortly after setting off, we spotted Şarapsa Han on the left side. It was a structure of a vaulted tunnel with a length of 71 meters and a width of 11,5 meters. The main rectangular building with buttresses and battlements resembled castle walls. At the eastern end stood a small mosque. To the west of the main building were the remnants of a tower. After a while, we got off at a stop announced, among others, as Nox Inn, and we walked to our hotel. We passed by the Algora Halal Hotel & Spa and the Nox Inn Club. Nearby, we also saw a parked green hotel bus. We arrived at the hotel just in time for lunch and spent the rest of the day swimming and sunbathing at the hotel's beach.

Photo gallery: Konakli