Ancient Side, Turkey
The ancient city of Side is interspersed with the modern town center, which has numerous pedestrianized streets often filled with tourists during the evenings of the high season. Side's main street was once lined with columns, but is now mostly paved except for a small section outside of town center. It runs from the ancient gate to the ancient harbor, which is still the site of the Temple of Apollo.
The Main City Gate
You'll drive right by Ancient
Side's main gate on the paved
road into town.
Although it's in rather bad condition today, side's Hellenistic main gate originally opened into a court area, flanked by two towers on each side. It was decorated with marble slabs and seven statues, some of which are on display in the Side museum. The main road into Side passes through what is left of this main gate.
Nymphaeum
A nymphaeum is located just outside, and facing the city gate. It its original condition, it was a three-story structure, decorated with marble reliefs and appointed with various statues. It was probably supplied by an aqueduct bringing water from the Melas river.
Necropolis
Side once had a necropolis located in an area outside the city gate, however the sarcophagi were removed and the land was farmed. You can see the ornate sarcophagi and ostotheks from the necropolis in the Side museum.
Side's ancient city wall is now
being renovated, with some of
it's original columns.
City Wall
Built during the Hellenistic period, most of the ancient wall has either disappeared or is covered by sand. There is a rather well-preserved section near the main gate. Originally, the city wall had three stories, supported by pillars, with rooms along the second story. These rooms had portals from which defenders could fire arrows or other projectiles at attackers. The wall also had parapets and towers in various places, from which sentries could watch for anyone approaching the city. Side's ancient wall is now undergoing restoration, with some of its original columns being replaced.
Although most of the colonnaded
street has been paved, thankfully
a section has been spared.
Colonnaded Street
The paved main road entering Side now covers much of the ancient colonnaded street, which ran from the main gate to the harbor. Only a portion of of the colonnaded street still exists, running parallel to the road on the right side as you enter Side. This original portion is still lined by column fragments and stumps. As you walk down this street, you see the remains of ancient stores where merchants sold various goods to passers by.
The Monumental Gate
The monumental gate
entering the main town.
This arched Roman gate still serves as the main entrance to the ancient city of Side, with a paved road passing through it. It has a smaller pedestrian gate on the theater side. It was mostly closed off with bricks in the 4th century as a defensive measure, leaving only a small arched passageway. You can see some indications that this was a hurried job, since parts of old columns and seemingly whatever they could find was used as construction material to fill in most of the gate.
The arch of the smaller passageway was later removed, since there was a danger it would collapse.
Monument to Titus and Vespasian and Nymphaeum
The nymphaeum and monument
to Titus and Vespasian
Just to he left of the monumental gate is a monument which was later converted to a nymphaeum. It bears an inscription saying that it was erected in AD 74, in honor of emperor Titus and Vespasian. It was probably moved to its present location sometime around the 4th century A.D. when the monumental gate became part of the inner defensive wall.
The Side Theater
The ancient theater of Side is
one of the best-preserved in Turkey.
On the far side of the stage
is the main agora.
Probably the central point of interest is Side's 2nd century A.D. Greco-Roman style ancient theater, the largest and best-preserved in the Pamphylian region of Turkey. It is unique, in that it is supported by columns rather than being built into the side of a mountain. During its time of completion, it could seat between 13,000 to over 15,000 people, depending on the popularity of the show and how crammed the seats and steps were.
The state background was ornamented with statues and friezes. During the Roman period, when shows featured fights between wild animals, gladiatorial games, and even mock naval battles, a two-meter wall was erected around the orchestra to prevent the animals from leaping into the crowd.
The Main Agora
The main agora of Side. In the
background is the ancient theater.
Next to the stage-side of the ancient theater is the Agora, the commercial and social center of ancient Side. Many of the city's shops were located there. This is also where the local citizenry and pirates trafficked in slaves and various goods. In its original condition, it measured 91 x 94 meters and had four stoas on its corners. In the center of the main agora is the outline of the Temple of Tyche, the goddess of fortune. This temple once consisted of 12 Corinthian columns and a 12-faceted, pyramidal roof. The main agora also had a public latrine complex, which could seat 24 people, over a channel of flowing water.
The State Agora
You'll find the state agora near the sand dunes of the Eastern beach of Side. It consists of a large open area surrounded by columns. During the Byzantine period, the state Agora had a giant cross standing in the center. The east end of the agora had a three-room, elaborately-ornamented building. The middle of these rooms was decorated with copies of greek statues, some of which are now on display in the museum. The room on the south side of this building may have been a library.
The Temples of Apollo and Athena
The Temple of Apollo is at the
end of Side's main street, next
to the ancient harbor.
You'll find the sites of the Temple of Apollo and the Temple of Athena at the end of the main street (which used to be the colonnaded street), to the right of the ancient harbor as you are approaching the sea.
Built in the 2nd century AD, Each temple had 11 columns on each side, with six columns on the front and back. The remains of the portico of the Temple of Apollo is Side's trademark, and one of the most photographed sites in Turkish tourism. The portico of the Temple of Apollo has been re-erected. Both temples were probably already in ruins when, in the 5th Century, a Byzantine basilica was built here. The basilica covered much of the original temple sites. What is left of the basilica remains today next to the ruins of these temples.
5th Century Basilica and Episcopal Palace
The Basilica and Episcopal palace was located at a junction between roads which ran between Side's main gate and its Eastern gate. To the left of this complex was a baptistery, with steps leading down to the baptismal font. Connecting the basilica to the palace was a building thought to be a martyrion dedicated to one of the early Christian church's martyrs. It also had a small chapel and a walled garden.
Eastern Gate
Constructed during the Hellenistic period, the Eastern gate opened into a rectangular courtyard, which was decorated with mosaics and reliefs depicting arms and weapons, which is believed to be a depiction of a victory by the Sidetans over an army from Pergamum in the second century B.C. These reliefs are on display in the Side museum.
Byzantine Basilica
The Byzantine basilica, built on
the ruins of the temples of
Apollo and Athena.
Built on the site once occupied by the temples of Apollo and Athena, this basilica was built in the 5th century using salvaged materials from the ruins of Roman buildings. In the 9th or 10th centuries, a church was also built in the center of the basilica. Unfortunately, much of the original marble used to decorate the basilica and church were burned to make lime during the 19th century.
The Ancient Harbor
Constructed sometime during the Hellenistic period, the ancient harbor of Side used to be located on the southeast part of the peninsula, next to the temples of Apollo and Athena. It originally had a coastline which went all the way to the harbor baths. Silting from the river required constant dredging. This was such a constant and difficult task that the dredging of the harbor of side was used, in ancient times, as an expression for any task which was never-ending, difficult, and very costly. The harbor was finally abandoned in the 5th century, and the silt eventually caused the shoreline to receded to its present location, some 250 to 300 meters from the harbor baths.
Cleopatra is said to have bathed
here in these baths, near the Harbor.
The Temple of Men
This temple to the ancient moon god named "Men" (not "man" in the plural) was erected sometime in the 2nd century AD. It's located on the inland of the coastal promenade on the western side of the harbor. There isn't much left of it today. Although it is signposted, you'll be forgiven if you don't notice it as you walk by it, perhaps several times.
The Harbor Baths
Just inland from the Temple of Apollo are the the Antique Baths, also referred to as the Harbor Baths. It is said that Cleopatra bathed here.
Side's museum, which is also an
ancient bath complex, displays
the statues and other
artifacts
of ancient Side.
Side Museum and Bath Complex
The Side Museum is located in a 5th Century bath complex, on the main road just outside the monumental gate. The museum is open from 8:00 AM to Noon, and from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The museum's garden, once a courtyard for the baths, has displays of sarcophagi, fragments of ancient sculpture, an ornate portions of Side's buildings. Noteworthy are reliefs believed to depict a Sidetan victory over an army from Pergamum in the 2nd century B.C., found in the ruins of the eastern gate. It is an enjoyable place to visit during the heat of the day, since it also has shade trees and cultivated gardens.
The interior portion of the Side museum contains many well-preserved statues, including a statue of Hercules in its center, and a nearly complete statue of Apollo. There are also Roman amphorae recovered from Side's waters, statue heads of people and gods, reliefs, and ornate sarcophagi recovered from Side's necropolis. There is also a fragment displaying an inscription in the Sidetan language, a language which has never been deciphered, as well as a display of an ancient Roman grave.