The Old Town of Side best things to do in an Ancient Turkish Town

The Old Town of Side is a city located on the southern coast of Turkey along the Mediterranean Sea, often referred to as the Turkish Riviera. It’s a city filled with attractions where the past meets the present. History enthusiasts typically call Side a museum city or an ancient open-air museum, while its residents fondly refer to it as the pomegranate’s fruit.

This ancient city is situated between Antalya and Alanya, in a region highly popular among tourists from around the world, who flock here by the thousands every year. The oldest part of Side is located on a small peninsula, making it easy to envision the beauty of this place during its heyday.

Ancient Old Town of Side in Turkey and Its History

The beginnings of Side still remember the ancient kingdom of Lydia, which existed here thousands of years ago and was purportedly a land of happiness, abundance, and peace. Fertile lands and numerous pastures provided everything the inhabitants of Lydia needed. Numerous rivers and trade routes facilitated commerce with neighbouring regions, and rich mines extracted almost all the necessary ores of that time.

During this time, Greek settlers arrived at the coast, laying the foundation for the future city of Side. These newcomers chose the goddess Athena as the patron of their settlement and erected the city’s first temple in her honour, with her likeness appearing on the city’s coins. Over time, the settlers adopted the language, beliefs, and customs of the indigenous people, eventually forgetting their origins.

As is often the case, an excess of prosperity and self-confidence led to the downfall of the mighty state. In the 5th century BCE, Lydia attacked Persia and, weakened, fell under the control of the soldiers of Alexander the Great, and later the Roman Empire.

After the fall of Lydia, the lands on which modern-day Side is situated came under the influence of Hellenistic culture and then Egyptian rule. Thanks to its excellent location and access to a natural harbour, Side retained a significant degree of autonomy throughout this time and remained an important cultural centre.

However, due to numerous wars and prevailing violence, the city gradually lost its significance. The ruler of Pergamon, Attalos II, to whom the lands including present-day Side fell with Roman support, ordered the construction of a modern port in Antalya. Yet, fate abhors a vacuum, and in the 1st century BCE, Side became a major naval base for the pirates of that time who operated along the shores of the Pamphylia region, which is part of modern-day Turkey, for decades.

Side and Its Development and Decline

The good times for pirates and criminals came to an end when the Romans gained full control of the region. They achieved this through unprecedented violence and terrifying military efficiency, embodied by their iron-clad legions. During this period, Side became notorious for its slave trade, where thousands were sent to the Eternal City to fight as gladiators in its arenas. The human trafficking business was so profitable that even previously peaceful merchants from Side changed their profession and set sail to procure new slaves.

The city flourished and grew wealthy, with its inhabitants living in luxury. Authorities invested heavily in new roads and buildings, adorning the city with statues and sculptures. Unfortunately, the subsequent centuries were tragic for Side. Constant wars with the Arabs, numerous earthquakes, and other catastrophes nearly brought the city to total ruin.

By the 10th century AD, Side was almost destroyed and long abandoned. Once magnificent temples, roads, and fountains lay in ruins, overgrown with grass. Over time, Side was entirely forgotten, and only legends and tales told by local fishermen remained.

The Old Town of Side under Turkish rule and today

Side remained abandoned and forgotten until 1895 when it became the site of a settlement for Turkish refugees from Crete. Over the course of several decades, this small community grew into a sizable town. Unfortunately, the settlers recklessly destroyed the scattered ancient ruins throughout the area, using them as quarries to extract building materials for their homes.

Fortunately, they realized it was not worth extracting the old stones from the ground or demolishing the time-buried walls, and they simply buried what remained of the ancient metropolis with soil, erecting Ottoman-style buildings on top of it. Thanks to this, archaeologists today can uncover priceless remnants of ancient Side.

Today, Side is a well-known resort town visited by thousands of tourists from around the world. The town is quite charming, with its abundant ancient ruins and the preserved charm of the former Ottoman village.

An interesting fact is that the restored areas in the city, where archaeologists have completed their work, are covered with glass panels that allow visitors to view the ancient elements of the ancient Side. At night, the glass is illuminated, creating an indescribable atmosphere.

The Old Town of Side in Turkey and its attractions, along with the most interesting monuments of the ancient Town

As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, Side is often referred to as a museum city or an ancient open-air museum. You’ll easily understand why as you take a stroll through the area.

Everywhere you look, stone symbols of the ancient world pierce the sky. Ancient gates, the walls of former residences, columns, and remnants of sculptures are nothing out of the ordinary on the streets of Side. You can quite literally stumble upon history here.

Below, you’ll find a brief list of the most important monuments you should pay special attention to during your visit to Side.

The temple of the god Apollo, the goddess Artemis, and the goddess Athena in ancient Side

The ruins of the ancient temple dedicated to Apollo in Side are the best-preserved temple complex in this part of the Antalya coast. A significant portion of the foundation and impressive, awe-inspiring columns with parts of the attic on top remain from the former structure. They stand at the very tip of the peninsula, right by the sea, creating a beautiful contrast and an incredible view. It’s no wonder that these ruins have become a symbol of the city.

Originally, there were several dozen columns in the Temple of Apollo, but today, only five of them have survived. You can see the original temple on old coins minted in Side over two thousand years ago.

The entrance to the Temple of Apollo in Side, like the other two, is free, which has its pros and cons. The advantage is that you can visit the ruins whenever you want. Even at night or early in the morning when the sun is just appearing on the horizon, illuminating the beach and the monumental columns with golden and pure light. However, the downside is that anyone can do the same, and many tourists visiting Side take advantage of this, making it unlikely to admire the monument in solitude.

Apollo was the Greek god of beauty, light, and the patron and guide of artists and their muses. In Side, the temple dedicated to him was built in the 2nd century AD and designed to conform to the prevailing Corinthian style of the time. This means that there were 11 columns on the longer sides of the temple and 6 on the shorter sides.

Right next to the Temple of Apollo, there were once two other temples. One was dedicated to Athena, the goddess of wisdom, art, and just warfare, while the other was dedicated to Artemis, the goddess of hunting, animals, nature, fertility, and the moon.

Unfortunately, only the ruins and foundations of these two temples have survived to this day, and we can learn about their original beauty, which they boasted centuries ago, from the information and reconstructions available on-site.

The old town of Side looks fantastic from the seaside. You can find suggestions for boat trips along the coast on the internet.

The Archaeological Museum in The Old Town of Side

The museum in Side was built on the site of the ancient Roman baths. The collections you can admire in the museum primarily consist of remnants from the ancient city, parts of monuments, sculptures, pottery, and various ancient decorative elements discovered during excavations conducted in the area of Side.

I highly recommend having a look at the ancient baths located within the museum. They have a rectangular shape and are divided into several rooms with dimensions carefully chosen for comfort and fulfilling their designated roles. One of these rooms is a dressing area, and another is the indoor pool, which was filled with heated water.

During its heyday, the entire bathhouse was adorned with marble and filled with sculptures depicting maritime and mythological motifs. The furnace that heated the water in the pool was located beneath the bathhouse and was a marvel of ancient technology in itself.

In addition to the elements of ancient artefacts unearthed from the ground, you will also see in the museum collections of coins, weapons, and pottery from various periods in the city’s history.

The street full of ancient columns in The Old Town of Side

The colonnaded street in Side was the city’s showcase. It led directly to the west gate and was 20 meters wide. Rows of columns were set along its edges, with wide sidewalls and promenades trailing behind them.

The entire surface of the street was paved with marble, and olive trees and flowers grew alongside the road. The wealthiest merchants in the Side had their shops along this main urban artery. In addition to them, there were impressive villas, chapels, and important offices.

The ruins of the Roman theatre in the Turkish Old Town of Side

The ancient Roman theatre in Side is located in the narrowest part of the peninsula, where the ruins of the ancient city stand. It was built in the 2nd century AD on the foundations of an earlier theatre that commemorated the victorious arrival of Alexander the Great in Turkey.

The theatre has a semicircular shape, and the exterior facade of the structure once had two stories. Unfortunately, only its lower parts adorned with stone arches have survived to this day. The theatre’s stage consists of a building called the skene, as well as the proscenium, which is a platform and stage in one.

The skene building, where actors prepared for performances, is 63 meters long and in ancient times had three stories with an ornate facade adorned with columns and niches with statues. Inside the building, there are nine rooms connected by corridors. Five beautifully sculpted gates for actors and theatre staff led to the stage.

The theatre could accommodate up to 15,000 spectators, separated from the stage by thick and high walls that were added during the times when battles between gladiators and wild animals became popular. In the Side, as in the Roman Colosseum, naval battles were organized after filling the theatre’s floor with water.

After the fall of Rome, many elements of the theatre were used to construct the city’s defensive walls, which were built in the narrowest part of the peninsula. From the 5th century onwards, the remaining part of the theatre was used as a church, where outdoor masses were celebrated.

The ancient Nymphaeum in The Old Town of Side

The Nymphaeum in Side is located just behind the gate leading to the city. A Nymphaeum was a structure used for obtaining drinking and utility water in ancient Greek and Roman cities. The ancient Nymphaeum in Side is very well-preserved, but it is currently undergoing restoration and excavation work, so it cannot be visited.

The monument was likely built around the mid-2nd century, similar to the aforementioned temples. Water was supplied to the Nymphaeum through municipal aqueducts from the Males River (currently known as Manvgat). Ordinary city residents drew water from the public Nymphaeum, while the homes of the wealthiest had plumbing systems and pipes delivering water directly to their private baths.

The Agora and the ancient temple of the goddess Tyche in Side

The Agora is the main market and central square in ancient cities, surrounded by buildings for public use, temples, and bazaars. It was no different in Side, where the Agora was the main cultural and commercial centre.

In the centre of the Agora in Side stood the temple of Tyche, the goddess of blind fate, luck, and protector of cities, known in Rome as Fortuna. Legends say that the Temple of Tyche in the Old Town of Side was the most beautiful among the city’s temples, and as long as it was kept in impeccable condition, the city prospered and grew rich. However, when an earthquake damaged the temple’s walls, and the city authorities were reluctant to make repairs, the Side began to decline.

The Temple of Tyche in Side was built in an oval shape on a high foundation. To enter its interior, one had to climb nine marble steps. The temple is partially restored today, which cost the city over 50,000 US dollars.

The Agora in Side has a rectangular shape and was well-known for the slave trade and the production of olive oil.

The ancient Vespasian Gate leading to The Old Town of Side in Turkey

The entrance gate to the Side is located near the ancient theatre and is very impressive. Its height is almost 13 meters, and according to ancient accounts, it was originally even taller. From old reliefs found by archaeologists, it is possible to deduce the original appearance of the gate. Probably, on top of the gate, there was a sculpture depicting a quadriga, harnessed to four horses, similar to the one on the Basilica of St. Mark in Venice.

The gate is called the Vespasian Gate because of an inscription placed on one of its elements. The gate consists of a central semi-oval niche and edicts placed on both sides of it. They each contain two columns in the front and two half-columns at the rear. The triangular pediment on the left side of the central niche, adorned with the head of Medusa, is also well-preserved. Although not visible today, during its heyday, the Vespasian Gate also served as a fountain, supplied with water from an aqueduct.

In Roman times, the gate led to the centre of the Side, but today, part of the wall has been demolished to allow for vehicular traffic to the historic part of the city. The width of the gate is so narrow that it presents a real challenge for drivers of buses and trucks.

Of course, the ancient Side’s attractions I’ve mentioned are just a drop in the ocean of all the wonders in this ancient city. I’m sure that as you explore this part of the Turkish coast, you will discover many other equally fascinating traces of the ancient, mythological world and share them with us.

The Old Town of Side in Turkey practical information that might be useful

• Side is well-connected to the rest of the country, and you can easily reach it from almost anywhere in Turkey.
• The beaches in Side are sandy, long, and wide, with a shallow shoreline and a comfortable entry into the sea, making them an ideal place for family vacations.
• Side is only 60 kilometres away from Antalya, near the town of Manavgat with its famous bazaar and the ancient ruins of the city of Aspendos, which you must visit.
• Remember that it’s a good idea to plan your holiday in the Side area well in advance. This region is very popular, and as the peak season approaches, prices can significantly increase, and hotel availability becomes limited.
• Side is a great starting point for exploring other attractions in the immediate vicinity. The best weather for a holiday in Side is from May to September, although during the peak of summer, the heat can be quite intense.
• Off-season, the weather is usually mild and still pleasant. Unfortunately, many resorts may not be fully operational during this time.
• The nearest airport is Antalya Airport, which is just over 60 kilometres away from Side.
• From Antalya Airport, you can reach Side by a local bus that operates year-round. Prices in Side are relatively high, especially during the tourist season, when the number of tourists increases.

The Old Town of Side in Turkey information and trivia

• The beginnings of Side date back to the 6th century BCE.
• The name Side means “pomegranate” in the local language.
• In the 3rd century BCE, the region where Side is located today was conquered by Alexander the Great.
• During the transition from the old to the new era, Side was a famous pirate port known for its slave trade.
• By the end of the 1st century BCE, Side came under Roman rule.
• The decline of the city began in the late 4th century CE.
• In the 10th century CE, Side had become almost entirely abandoned and remained so until 1895 when Turkish refugees from Crete settled there.
• In the late 20th century, Side became a renowned resort and a popular tourist destination.
• Currently, Side is a large archaeological site, which is expected to remain so for several more decades.
• Many ancient monuments have been preserved in the oldest part of Side.
• The highlight of Side is the Temple of Apollo, located at the end of a charming promontory right by the sea.
• Side is surrounded by massive resorts and hotels that attract thousands of tourists each year.
• It is said that Side enjoys sunshine for over 300 days a year.
• Side offers fantastic sea-related attractions. You can go diving, rent a boat, or take part in a themed cruise.
• Another interesting monument is the ruins of the city of Aspendos.
• A popular attraction near Side is the Manavgat bazaar.

Polish version