Location and History of Alara Han
Alara Han is a 13th-century Anatolian Seljuk caravanserai located on a plain along the banks of the Alara Stream, 37 kilometers west of Alanya and 800 meters from Alara Castle.
Serving as the first accommodation point on the historical old Alanya-Konya caravan route, the structure was built in 1231 during the reign of I. Alaeddin Keykubad.
In the inscription found at Alarahan, I. Alaeddin Keykubad holds the title “conqueror of the lands of Rum, Damascus, Armenia, and the Franks.”
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Architectural Features and Building Plan
The caravanserai was built on a 2,000-square-meter area entirely using large cut stones and preserves its characteristic sentry box that has survived to the present day.
Its second door opens to the quarters where travelers would stay, and small rooms are located on both sides of a long corridor.
Inside the structure, there is also a fountain, a masjid, and a bath; furthermore, the signatures of stone masons uncovered during restoration draw attention.
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