Side Ancient City (Temple of Apollo at Side)

Unlike most ancient cities, Side has always remained a lived-in town. Its ruins do not sit behind a fence in an empty field. They share a little peninsula with hotels, shops and restaurants, and Roman columns line the resort's main street. Out at the peninsula's tip, the white columns of Apollo's temple stand at the very edge of the sea. That scene, best at sunset, is what draws most visitors.

Key details at a glance

History

Side takes its name from an old Anatolian word meaning pomegranate, and the city's coins carried the fruit. Greek settlers came in the 7th century BC. The harbour made Side wealthy, and for a while it had a bad name as a market where pirates sold slaves. Its high point came in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, under Roman rule, when it had baths, temples, fountains, a theatre and a big agora.

Arab raids in the 7th century started a decline; eventually Side was deserted and much of it disappeared under sand. In the 19th century a little fishing village grew among the ruins, and from the 1980s tourism changed it completely.

Highlights

• Temple of Apollo. Re-erected on the point of the peninsula next to the smaller Temple of Athena, its five columns still carry part of the frieze. You can visit it free at any hour.
• The theatre. A big 2nd-century AD Roman theatre, raised on arches over level ground instead of being cut into a slope. It seated about 15,000 people.
• Side Museum. Set inside Roman baths, it displays statues, sarcophagi and reliefs found in Side.
• Colonnaded street. Running from the city gate, this main avenue is partly a shopping street today and is still lined with ancient columns.
• Vespasian monument and city gate. At the way into the old town, you see what is left of a grand fountain and gateway.
• The harbour. A small modern port on the ancient one's site, where boats leave for trips along the shore.

Ancient ruins, modern resort

Do not expect a quiet archaeological site. Side has souvenir stalls, restaurants whose menus come in many languages, and crowded summer evenings. Some people enjoy the combination; others find it too commercial. Come early to have the theatre without groups, and go back to the temple for sunset; the evening glow compensates for the crowds.

How to get there

Side is on the main coast road east of Antalya. Buses go from Antalya to Manavgat, and local minibuses continue to Side. Day tours starting in Antalya, Belek or Alanya pair it with other sights. If you drive, leave the car in the big car parks outside the walls.

When to go

Visit between April and June or between September and November. Summer brings heat and crowds. Apollo's temple looks its best at sunset, which comes late in the evening in summer and earlier, with fewer people, in winter. Mornings suit the theatre and the museum.

Our Perge, Aspendos, Side and Manavgat Waterfall day tour lasts eight hours and starts at US$90; it stops at Perge and the Aspendos Theatre first, then reaches Side and its temple. The three-day private Antalya trip also covers Myra, Aspendos and Perge as well as Side.

Practical advice

• Park beyond the old town, then go on foot or by the small shuttle train.
• Mornings for the theatre, sunset for the temple.
• Our Aspendos Theatre page covers a theatre in much better condition, a 40-minute drive away.
• A short drive inland, Manavgat Waterfall makes a good pairing with Side.

Questions visitors ask