Side Ancient City

Side Ancient City occupies a small peninsula at the town of Side in the Manavgat district, approximately 75 kilometres east of Antalya. Founded by Greek colonists from Cyme in Aeolis around the 7th century BC, Side developed into one of the wealthiest cities of ancient Pamphylia during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. At its Roman Imperial peak, between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD, Side housed a population possibly exceeding 60,000 and maintained extensive trading links across the eastern Mediterranean, including a significant slave market that ancient sources describe as one of the largest in the region. The city's principal monument is the Temple of Apollo, five of whose Corinthian columns were re-erected in the 1980s and now stand at the tip of the peninsula against the open sea. Photographed especially at sunset, the temple — built around the 2nd century AD — has become one of the most recognisable images of Turkish antiquity. Adjacent to it stand the remains of the Temple of Athena, dating from a similar period and sharing the same sacred coastal precinct. The colonnaded main street runs the full length of the ancient city from the monumental landward gate to the agora and harbour area. The nymphaeum, which once dominated the central street, has been partially reconstructed and its carved blocks remain in situ. Side's theatre, seating approximately 15,000–17,000 spectators, is one of the largest in Anatolia and a structural rarity — unlike most ancient theatres it is entirely free-standing rather than built into a hillside, reflecting the flat peninsula topography. The theatre has been partially restored for cultural events. A persistent and distinctive quality of Side is the overlap between the ancient city and the modern holiday resort that grew up around it: hotels, cafes, and shops occupy the peninsula alongside the ruins, creating a living archaeological landscape unique in Turkey.