Location
– from south to north
The beach starts at the cliff in Alanya center, passing through Oba, Tosmur, Kestel, Mahmutlar and ends in a little cliff in Kargıcak.
Along the beach you find the road from Antalya to Mersin – and from there to the countries further east. However, there will be changes. The building of a new main road between Antalya and Mersin has started. When it will be ready, no one knows exactly. Sometimes it seems that nothing is happening, and then suddenly it is there. What we know for a fact is that the old busy beach road will be a beautiful beach boulevard. A road with palm-trees, flowers and places to stop and have a picnic. Still open for traffic, but now a pleasure to drive along.
Behind road, you will find Mahmutlar, 4.5 km long from west to east. A few years ago, it was a sleepy little Turkish community. Since 2004 this started to change into a bigger, but still a laid-back Turkish-European community. Busy enough to be entertaining, but far more quiet and peaceful than the city of Alanya.
Walking up from the beach, you will see Mahmutlar as a modern town, with beautiful streets, with older and newer buildings. No building looks like the next one. Some are 5 floors high, some are 12. However, you still get the impression of space.
Life is good in Mahmutlar!
The first street up from the beach road is Barbaros street. We call it the main road of Mahmutlar. This road goes all the way through the town – from west to east. Passing through the center, where the famous clock of stone marks the middle of Mahmutlar.
The next street is Atatürk street. Ataturk is the founder of modern Turkey. Ataturk is a secret to the Turkish people. He is sacred to Turkish people – and reading a little about him make us understand why. Atatürk street is like a border between the modern Mahmutlar and the old Turkish countryside. Chickens are running over the street. Cows are taken to green fields in the morning and back in the evening. Also this street goes all the way through the city, from west to east. It’s a must for everyone to see.
Mahmutlar does not end there. This “Kasabası” goes far up in the beautiful mountains behind the town. These mountains are the beginning of the huge mountain-chain Taurus. In the other end (in Georgia) you find Ararat. Many roads go from the town to the mountains. When driving, care is advised, as signs in this area are few. But it is well worth the drive, as the scenery from the mountain is breathtaking. Even for people from mountain-countries like Norway and Switzerland - looking over the Mediterranean Sea, and a coast-line with beaches and cliffs. Whether your choice be a picnic or even a snowball fight. Nothing could be better.
Life is good in Mahmutlar!
– from west to east
Travelling from the well-known holiday paradise of Alanya can be done in many ways:
Walking along the beach. Cycling along the road. Taxi (approx. 40 lira). Car. Or the famous little bus (Dolmuş). You can take the green one to Mahmutlar, or the white one to the end station in Kestel. Where Kestel ends, Mahmutlar begins. In this Western end, the first buildings for the European market were built in 2003/2004. Some years later, many Europeans bought their homes in this area. But there is a nice mix between these buildings and the Turkish ones that were built there a little earlier.
There are many small streets going up from the beach road and some bigger ones, too. The bigger ones are beautifully decorated – with cobblestone, palm-trees, flowers, water and a lot more, and there are plenty of shops and restaurants. Going from west, the first one is called Vatan Caddesi. In this street you will find many Irish inspired restaurants and pubs. The next lively street is Taskent Hadim Yolu, going through the center. And where it crosses Barbaros, you find the well-known clock.
Going east, you will find more of these nicely decorated streets. The next one with lots of restaurants and shops is Mehmet Çakır Caddesi.
The development of Mahmutlar is enormous. Most of the construction is now going on at the east side of the clock. So many changes are going on, please check on the website for updates.
