Side Ancient City – Antalya

Side Ancient City, one of the most important harbor cities of ancient Pamphylia, was founded on a peninsula approximately 350–400 meters wide, located seven kilometers southwest of today’s Manavgat district in Antalya. The city’s name derives from the Luwian word meaning “pomegranate.” Thanks to its strategic position and natural harbor, Side maintained its importance as a maritime and commercial center throughout antiquity.

Side became a settlement as early as the 7th century BC. In the 6th century BC, it came under the rule of the Lydian Kingdom along with the rest of Pamphylia, and following Lydia’s collapse in 547–546 BC, the city fell under Persian control. During this period, Side preserved a degree of autonomy and minted its own coins. In 334 BC, during his Anatolian campaign, Alexander the Great entered Side without resistance. The city later became one of the major coin-minting centers established by Alexander. After his death, Side changed hands frequently among Hellenistic kingdoms, coming under Ptolemaic rule in the 3rd century BC and later under the Seleucid Kingdom between 215 and 189 BC.

Following the Seleucids’ defeat by Rome, the Treaty of Apamea in 188 BC transferred Pamphylia—and Side—to the Kingdom of Pergamon. However, Side soon regained its independence and entered one of the brightest periods of its history. The city’s cultural significance is highlighted by the fact that Antiochus VII, later known as “Sidetes,” was sent to Side for his education during his youth—an indication of the city’s reputation as a major cultural center in the Eastern Mediterranean.

This prosperity did not last indefinitely. In the 1st century BC, piracy spread across Pisidia and mountainous Cilicia, eventually affecting Pamphylia and Side. Unable to resist the pirates, the citizens were forced to open their harbor and markets to them. In 78 BC, Roman consul Publius Servilius successfully cleared the region of pirates, and Side was incorporated into the Roman Empire along with the other cities of Pamphylia.

After 25 BC, Emperor Augustus reorganized Pamphylia as a province governed directly by an imperial official, and Side became one of its cities. The 2nd and 3rd centuries AD marked a period of great prosperity for Side. By the 4th century, however, the city had become a relatively impoverished Christian settlement. In the 5th and 6th centuries, Side experienced its third and final golden age, serving as the capital of the Metropolitan See of Eastern Pamphylia. Arab raids in the 9th and 10th centuries weakened the city considerably. Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus later described Side as a “nest of pirates,” while the Arab geographer al-Idrisi referred to it as “Burnt Antalya,” noting that its inhabitants had been relocated to “New Antalya,” two days away. In the early 20th century, the village of Selimiye was established on the ancient ruins by Cretan immigrants.

Like other Pamphylian cities, Side was organized around a monumental colonnaded street beginning at the main city gate. The principal avenue starts at the “Great Gate” in the northeast and runs almost straight—except for a slight curve in front of the theater—ending in a large square near the temples. A second major street also extends southward from the Great Gate. Both streets were lined with Corinthian-columned porticoes, behind which rows of shops once stood, reflecting the city’s vibrant commercial life.

Today, visitors entering the archaeological site encounter the remains of numerous ancient structures, including the theater, fountains, aqueducts, hospitals, colonnaded streets, baths, and temples. The Side Museum, housed within a restored ancient bath complex known as the Agora Bath, displays artifacts from the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods—most of which were uncovered during excavations in the city.

At the end of the colonnaded street and near the entrance to the ancient harbor stands the Temple of Apollo, one of Side’s most iconic landmarks. Together with the adjacent Temple of Athena, it was constructed during the period known as the Roman Peace in honor of the city’s chief god and goddess.

The most magnificent structure in Side is undoubtedly the Ancient Theater, renowned for its three-story stage building and elaborate decorative elements. Located south of the agora at the narrowest part of the peninsula, the theater follows Hellenistic planning traditions but was constructed using Roman engineering techniques. It is unique in Anatolia for having part of its seating built on an artificial slope supported by arches and vaults. Dating to the 2nd century AD, the stage building reflects the baroque style of the Antonine period. Its podium features the Dionysus Frieze, depicting the life of Dionysus—the god of wine and theater—in a chronological narrative that culminates in a Gigantomachy scene. In the 3rd century AD, the orchestra was enclosed by a high wall and converted into an arena, while in the 5th century, chapels were added, transforming the theater into a sacred space.

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DAY 1 – Departure at the airport and arrival at the hotel

DAY 2 – Visit the main museums and lunch included

DAY 3 – Excursion in the natural oasis and picnic

DAY 4 – Transfer to the airport and return to the agency

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– Travel cancellation insurance

– Breakfast and dinner included

– Health care included

– Transfer to the airport and return to the agency

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