Side Bazaar

The Side Bazaar occupies the commercial core of Side town, a compact ancient settlement located within the Manavgat district of Antalya province, approximately 75 kilometers east of central Antalya. Side itself is a UNESCO-listed archaeological site, and the bazaar's stalls operate alongside — and in some cases within — the ruins of the ancient Roman city, giving shopping here a genuinely unusual atmospheric quality. The market is primarily tourist-oriented and operates daily during summer (May to October), with reduced hours and partial closures in the off-season.

The goods on offer lean heavily toward handicrafts, textiles, and souvenirs: leather jackets and bags are prominently displayed at numerous stalls, alongside printed cotton clothing, Turkish rugs and kilims, copper and bronze items, evil eye (nazar) decorations, carved wooden objects, and a range of jewellery from silver to semi-precious stone. The bazaar also has a significant spice and food section, where vendors sell saffron, dried herbs, Turkish delight, dried figs, and packaged nuts. Visitors should be aware that the tourist concentration in Side means a higher-than-average proportion of replica goods and generic souvenir merchandise; the more distinctive and authentic pieces tend to be found in smaller workshops away from the main pedestrian thoroughfare.

Bargaining is fully expected across all non-food categories and is a core part of the shopping dynamic. Vendors typically open at prices two to three times above what they will ultimately accept. Lira and euros are both widely accepted, though paying in lira typically yields better effective rates. Most mid-sized stalls now accept card payment via mobile terminals, though smaller vendors remain cash-only. The narrow paved streets of the bazaar can become very crowded between 10 AM and 4 PM in July and August; early morning or early evening shopping is considerably more pleasant. The ruins of the Temple of Apollo are a short walk from the bazaar's eastern edge.