Here’s one for your next trivia quiz. Where did Mark Antony and Cleopatra get married? In Alanya, Turkey, according to legend. Of course, legends tend to enjoy a flexible connection with the truth, and in fact those two tragic lovers never did wed. No one in Alanya minds much about that. The town itself provides plenty of actual reasons to live here today.
Primary among them is location. The Alanya peninsula hugs the Mediterranean on Turkey’s riviera coastline, with the photogenic backdrop of the Taurus mountain range behind. It’s part of the Antalya province, where 3,000 hours of sunlight a year and mean summer temperatures buzzing around the 30C (84F) mark make it Turkey’s tourist hotspot. Alanya is rich in history of the verifiable sort, with its strategic peninsular position once attracting the competing claims of ancient warring empires. The castle rock was first fortified by Alexander the Great before the Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans weighed in.
Today, the town can lay claim to contributing 30% of the real estate purchased in Turkey by foreigners. Scandinavians, Germans, Belgians, Brits and (perhaps surprisingly, given the known history) Greek citizens are the most enthusiastic buyers of second homes in the sun. And while many holiday pied-à-terres are found in tall apartment blocks with balconies facing the Med, a small selection of standout architectural villas are dotted around Alanya with prestige international appeal.
One such is a new-build villa in the lush mountain view suburb of Tepe. Just 2.5 km from the sparkling blue sea it looks towards, the clean, elongated, white concrete façade of this two-story home leaves history behind and projects itself sympathetically into the landscape in an entirely modern way. The imposing glass curtain-wall frontage faces south, with all the main rooms on both levels oriented towards the shimmering horizon. The plot extends to 580 sqm (1900 sqft), lush with lawn and planted with fruits and vegetables, taking home-cooking to a veritable high.
The 300 sqm (984 sqft) interior has three bedrooms, each with en suite and walk-in closet. The master bedroom suite has an unobstructed view right down to the castle by the shore. Multi-system air conditioning keeps things cool, while underfloor heating serves whenever the seasonal mercury drops. The open-plan kitchen is kitted out with high-end appliances. Integrated security and alarm systems bring year-round peace of mind. The property is being offered for sale in turnkey ready-to-move condition, with all fixtures, fittings and furniture included.
Outside again, past the two-car garage, the infinity pool with built-in jacuzzi may beckon on a hot afternoon. But should you prefer to dip your toe into the warmth of the Mediterranean sea, there’s no better place than the idyllic Kleopatra Beach nearby – where, you will not be surprised to learn, the eponymous queen with the almond eyes and the sharp dark bangs took herself off swimming one fine day in 41 BCE. Or, perhaps just as likely, did not.
This property is listed by Forbes Global Properties via local real estate consultants Best Invest.
