Syedra Ancient City – Historical Places of Alanya

The ancient city of Syedra is located within the borders of Seki Village on the Alanya and Gazipaşa road. You can visit the ancient city on a hill for a walk and in the scenery.
The studies carried out by Heberdey and A. Wilhelm are considered to be the first studies on the city. In 1994, the cleaning works carried out by Alanya Municipality started and these works continued until 1999.
As a result of these studies, studies are carried out on various historical ruins such as the colonnaded street, the acropolis church, the temple, the port area and the spring cave. Apart from this, as a result of the studies carried out, the history of the city BC. It is also known that it dates back to the 7th century. Excavations still continue in the city.
During the ancient city period: It forms the western border of the Cilicia Region. The ancient city is surrounded by walls. There are two big streets in the ancient city and these streets divide the city transversely.
At the time, the entrance to the city was made through the gate in the western part. And this monumental gate is among the structures that have survived to the present day. The need for water was met through the cistern cave in the southwest of the city.
Syedra Ancient City Buildings
Colonnaded Street: This street, which has a length of 250 meters, starts from the city walls in the east of the city and extends to the west. The street is seen as the most important standing structure of the city. There are rows of shops on the north, west and south sides of the street. There is a 10 meter high wall in the middle of the street whose roads are made of limestone. Apart from that, near the middle of the street, there is a row of columns 2.7 meters apart. Some of these columns have survived to the present day.
Basilica: It is located in the western part of the ancient city, near the main entrance. It has a rectangular plan. There are niches on both the north and south walls of the building. It is thought to belong to the 4th century AD.
Church Structures: There are currently two church structures within the borders of the ancient city. As a result of the studies carried out in the Colonnaded Street section, M.S.5. There is a church remnant dating back to the 16th century and showing basilica features. There is a small church in the southern part of the acropolis. It is thought that the church was built in the 10th or 11th century, as this church shows the same architectural features and is contemporary with the church in the ancient city of Iotape.
Temple: It was found as a result of archaeological excavations carried out in 1998. This building is thought to be a temple.
Gymnasium: It is thought that the building located just below the bath in the southern part of the bath structure is the Gymnasium.
The Great Bath: It is called the most important structure of the ancient city that survived after the Colonnaded Street. The Great Bath is located on the southern part of the Colonnaded Street. The bath, which consists of non-parallel walls, has similar features with the baths in Antiochia ad Cragum, Iotape and Anemurium.
Bouleuterion: Although most of the building, located on the slope of the ancient city, is still underground, this building is thought to be a parliament building. It is also said that the building, which has the size of a small theater, was used for many purposes. It is deduced that the building served both as a theater and as a parliament building.
Source Cave: Located in the western part of the ancient city, the cave is also known as Sarnic Cave by the locals. There are rock crevices in the cave where water passes. There are traces of plaster made in the Early Christian Period on its walls. This indicates that the cave was used until the Early Christian Period.
Baptism Cave: The cave is located near the western gate of the city. On the eastern wall of the cave, there is a niche and the remains of a circular pool. It is thought that this pool remains was used for baptism rites.