The shipyard is inscribed with a decorative Seljuk-style rosette carving on its entrance arch.
The structure was built to maintain a 'two-sea' navy, allowing the Sultan to patrol both the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.
The interior galleries are designed with a slight incline to facilitate the hauling of ships from the water for repairs.
Freshwater wells were integrated into the shipyard design to support the crew during long-term ship maintenance.
The vaulted ceilings are engineered to resist the corrosive salt air of the Mediterranean, a hallmark of 13th-century military masonry.
Archaeological surveys have confirmed that the shipyard was part of a larger defensive fortification network protecting the Alanya harbor.
The Tarihi Alanya Selçuklu Tersanesi is a 13th-century medieval shipyard constructed in 1228 by the Seljuk Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat. It is one of the few surviving Seljuk-era shipyards in the Mediterranean, designed to serve as a winter naval base. The structure features five vaulted galleries built into the natural rock face of the Alanya peninsula, measuring 56.5 meters in width and 44 meters in depth. A medieval fortress wall connects the shipyard to the adjacent Kızıl Kule, or Red Tower. The primary building material is cut limestone, while the arches use bricks for structural support. Inside the galleries, visitors can view remnants of medieval maritime infrastructure and stone-cut mooring rings. The site is situated at the sea level, providing direct water access for ship maintenance and construction during the 13th century. It remains an active symbol of the maritime power exerted by the Sultanate of Rum over the Mediterranean trade routes.
The interior of the central vaulted bay looking outward toward the sea, framed by the stone archway.
Walk the coastal path from the Red Tower to the shipyard for a complete view of the fortifications.
Wear shoes with good grip, as the historical stone pathways and humidity near the sea can make surfaces slippery.
Bring a polarized lens to reduce water glare when photographing the interior arches from the seaside.
Attempting to access the shipyard via boat tours that do not explicitly dock at the site; most tours only view it from the water.
Maintain a quiet volume and avoid climbing on the historic masonry or stone walls.
