Side Ancient City
Side ancient city is a historical and touristic area that attracts everyone visiting Side region. Side, besides its magnificent natural beauty, is a history and culture city which hosted many civilizations and it still carries the traces of these civilizations.
Side Ancient City History: Side is a town connected to the Manavgat district of Antalya province. The ancient city of Side is a port city built on a peninsula of approximately 400 square kilometers. The name of the city which dates back to the 8th century BC is “pomegranate” in the language of the Luvians, one of the most ancient peoples of Anatolia. Side spoke her own language up to the 2nd century and it also had her own money. Side, from the 7th century B.C., lived under rules of Lydians, Persians, Hellenistic kingdoms, Romans, Seljuks, and Ottomans respectively. From the 12th century onwards, the people of the city left the city due to the plundering and attacks of neighboring kingdoms and they mostly migrated to Antalya. In the late 19th century, immigrants from the Crete region settled on the remains of the city and set up the Selimiye neighborhood.
Side Ancient City Remains: Among the remains of the Roman and Byzantine periods you can see in Side ancient city today are the walls and the gate of the city, the basilica, the trade agora, the agora bath which is currently used as Side Museum, the episcopacy palace, the triumphal arch, the Vespasian fountain, the Nymphaeum monumental fountain, ancient theater and temples of Apollo and Athena. Except for the ancient theater and museum, it is free to visit these remains.
Side Ancient Theater: The ancient theater welcomes its visitors with all its splendor in the center of Side ancient city. It was built in the 2nd century A.D. and it is the largest ancient theater of Anatolia with its three-story stage building and capacity of 17 thousand people. The theater, which is similar in structure to the Roman Colosseum, was both used as a theater and an arena where gladiators and wild animal fights were made in Roman period. It was used as an open-air church in Byzantine Period. Restoration works on the theater are going on at the moment.
Nymphaeum Monumental Fountain: This monumental fountain, built in the 2nd century, is the largest and most magnificent fountain of Anatolia from ancient times. It consists of three sections carved into the walls and there is a pool in front. There is a square in front of the pool and stone benches for resting around this square. There are many decorative columns and ornaments on the structure. This magnificent building is one of the must-see places in Side.
Side Museum:The Side Museum building, which has been in service since 1962, was originally built as an agora bath dating back to the 5th century A.D. The building consists of five sections and there are a lot of archaeological pieces from Hellenistic and Roman periods in these sections. In addition, three inscriptions in Side language, dated to the 2nd century, are exhibited in the museum.
Athena and Apollon Temple: The remains of the temple dedicated to the two great gods of the city, Athena and Apollon, are located to the east of Side Harbor, south of Side peninsula. The construction of the temples dates back to the 2nd century AD. Some of the columns of the temples were restored and placed in their original places. Sitting on the stones and watching the sunset of the sun from this point is an activity that must be done by everyone who has come to this beautiful resort. Additionally, Side Dolphin Island Boat Trip would be a nice choice to see this glorious monument from the sea.
In conclusion, with its 2800-year history, Side ancient city is offering a visual and cultural feast to all its visitors.
