The Turkish resort town of Side is primarily famous for its stunning artifacts, ancient buildings, temples and other ruins of the Roman period. But the famous ancient theater of Side, which impresses with its size, is best preserved. Being there, you involuntarily travel back a thousand years and imagine yourself in the place of spectators watching gladiator fights. In the Turkish city of Side, behind the Agora, there are the remains of an ancient Roman theater belonging to the middle of the second century BC. From other ancient theaters in Turkey that were built earlier, it is distinguished by the fact that it was built on a flat platform, that is, as the Romans built, and not on a mountainside, as is typical of the Hellenes. It is also distinguished by its arched vaults of impressive size, placed on the foundation, and on them, in turn, the seats are held. Now this ancient theater is an integral part of the ancient sights of Side.
Covered galleries served as the entrance to the ancient theater of Side, the vaults and the stage were decorated with tiles and statues. To date, you can only see the broken heads of Medusa and the masks of Comedy and Tragedy. Near the ancient theater of Side there was a building of a semicircular shape, which served as a public toilet, had a sewerage system and was designed for 24 seats.
This ancient theater was the largest in Pamphylia and could accommodate almost 20,000 spectators. Its width was 120 meters, and the diameter of the central amphitheater was 29 meters. The spectator stands were located in semicircles and were not closed. The structure consisted of three parts: a cave or a place for spectators, an orchestra or a semicircular area in front of the seats and a skene or a stage with rooms.
Cavea in the ancient theater was 2-storey, between the floors there was a path called diazoma. The surviving part consists of stone blocks and outer outer galleries.
Due to the internal gallery, the theater was quickly filled and emptied. Part of the stairs has been preserved, though in a ruined state. In the outer galleries, and there were 14 of them, there were shops and warehouses, 5 galleries served as the entrance to the theater. They had 3 steps for access to the diazomy, to the lower floor or to the upper one. On both sides of the galleries there were entrance tunnels through which artists and ministers walked.
The orchestra had a semicircular shape, and a water canal ran around it. Under it, sewage rainwater flowed through the sewer. In the Byzantine era, a wall was built in front of the first row of seats, with which the orchestra was used as an arena. Remains of architectural and marble decorations have been preserved in the theater orchestra. The reliefs on them testify to the splendor and elegance of the ancient theater.
In the basement of the orchestra there are passages to the agora. They were made so that in the event of a sudden attack by enemies, the audience could quickly take cover.
In front of the orchestra was a three-story stage. It was decorated with statues and tiles. Today, the masks of Tragedy and Comedy, as well as the chipped heads of Medusa scattered around the stage, have been preserved from them.
In a semicircular building near the theater there is an ancient public toilet (latrium), designed for 24 seats. Sewerage was laid under the stone seats. The walls here were covered with marble, and a magnificent mosaic was laid out on the floor.
In the Roman era, gladiator fights took place here, including those with predators, so for safety, the stage was surrounded by a one and a half meter wall. And for staging naval battles, water was poured onto the stage, on the basis of which a waterproof special material was placed.
From the 5th to 6th centuries, the ancient theater was used as a Christian temple, now it is an ancient landmark of Side.
The gentle warm sea, beaches with the purest sand, cozy hotels make Turkey a lure for millions of tourists. But, in addition to the opportunity to swim in the sea and enjoy the All Inclusive system, the Mediterranean coast invites you to plunge into the ancient history of Anatolia.
75 kilometers from Antalya, on a small peninsula, is the charming city of Side. According to scientific research, the history of the city, founded by Greek colonists, began in the 7th century BC. e. Today, this picturesque place with a fishing port and gently sloping sandy beaches offers the best conditions for relaxation.
Cozy bars and restaurants, noisy discos can diversify your evening leisure. And countless shops will delight lovers of bargaining. But not only this is the famous resort of the Antalya Riviera. Historical monuments in the city and the Taurus Mountains will be an occasion for unforgettable excursions.
Below are the most significant sights of Side:
The old center of Side begins with an arched gate, which is 2,000 years old. Their height is 6 meters. The walls of the building are equipped with niches. Statues of noble citizens were placed in them. At the arched gates, columned streets originate 250 meters. Although time has not spared the gates, they are still the main ones in the city and lead to the main attractions.
In the 2nd century A.D. e. Side flourished as a center of culture and trade. Then the construction of the Temple of Apollo, located in the old part of the city, began. This majestic rectangular marble building is surrounded on all sides by columns 9 meters high. In the X century, a strong earthquake turned the temple into ruins.
The Temple of Artemis was built in the 2nd century AD. e. next to the Temple of Apollo. The marble building with columns was 35 meters long and 20 meters wide. The top columns were decorated with bas-reliefs depicting the Gorgon Medusa. There is a legend that here Cleopatra made a date with her beloved Mark Antonio. Now only 5 columns and the foundation remain on the site of the grandiose structure.
The bishop's palace and the basilica are a clear example of Byzantine architecture. Both buildings were built in the 6th century BC. e.
The basilica consists of several rooms. They are connected by corridors. Of particular interest is the central living room with an unusual altar: outwardly it looks triangular, but inside it is round.
The palace was built next to the basilica. Its peculiarity is that each hall has a different shape.
The basilica and the palace are connected by a tomb, making up a single complex. Its area is 10 thousand m2.
Nymphaeum differs from modern fountains. It was built opposite the gates of the city in the II century in honor of the Roman emperor Vespasian. At that time, it was a three-story marble building 35 meters long and 5 meters high, divided into sections. At the base of the fountain there was a pool, where the waters of the Manavgat River, located nearby, fell through the aqueduct. The nymphaeum was richly decorated with exquisite niches, statues and frescoes, elements of which are now in the Side Museum. From the former splendor of the fountain, only two floors have been preserved.
Baths (or baths) are located on the shore of the bay at the harbor. According to the traditions of antiquity, those who arrived in the city must first undergo a bathing procedure in order to wash off foreign filth from themselves. Buildings built in the 2nd century had a unique architecture. They were large baths. A corridor led from the baths to the steam rooms, from which, in turn, one could get into the marble pools.
Currently, the baths house a museum.
The basis of the collection of the archaeological museum is made up of exhibits found in Side in the middle of the 20th century during excavations. The collection is housed in 4 rooms. The first introduces visitors to the altars, weapons, bas-reliefs and sundial. Roman torsos are placed in the second hall. In the third - amphoras and statues of the Graces, Nike and Hercules. In the fourth hall you can see portraits, sculptures of gods and sarcophagi. The pride of the museum is the bronze statue of Artemis and the head of Apollo, made of marble.
The entrance to the museum is 15 Turkish lira.
The amphitheater was built in the 2nd century AD. e. It could simultaneously accommodate 16 thousand spectators. The vaults were decorated with statues and tiles with jellyfish heads. Initially, the amphitheater was conceived as a venue for the fights of gladiators and animals. Then, naval battles were organized here. The stage was covered with a waterproof film and filled with water. From the 10th to the 11th centuries, the amphitheater acted as a Christian temple.
Behind the theater is Agora Square, built in the 2nd century. In ancient times, the Agora was an economic, commercial and administrative center. From the once majestic square, the remains of the temple and columns, as well as the latrium, a sickle-shaped structure, have been preserved. This is nothing but ancient city toilets.
The temple, the entrance to which was decorated with 4 columns, is the oldest building of ancient Side. Its history began in the III century BC. e. The temple is located next to the amphitheater. This is no coincidence, since Dionysus is not only the god of winemaking, but also the patron of the art of drama.
Today, visitors to the ancient city can only see the ruins of the building, lost between the main street and the theater.
In the vicinity of Side, near the village of Serik, there are the ruins of ancient Aspendos - a city whose history goes back 20 centuries. There are several legends about its origin. According to one of them, this city was built by the ancient Greek tribe of the Achaeans after their triumph in Troy. Another legend says that the first to discover this land were the Argonauts.
The best preserved building of the ancient city is the Roman amphitheater. Its diameter is 96 meters, and its capacity is 7 thousand people. The building contains 39 steps, its walls are decorated with bas-reliefs and sculptures, and an arched gallery is located above the stands. The building was erected in 155 and was originally used as a theater.
The architect Zenon, who built the structure, managed to provide unique acoustics. Even in the high stands, the audience can hear the quiet whispers of those talking on the stage. This sound phenomenon has allowed the theater to be used today for music festivals. One of the world famous shows is the performance "Fires of Anatolia" - a story about the civilizations of Anatolia in dance.
The aqueduct is a complex technical structure, consisting of canals, tunnels and bridges, which was built in the 2nd century AD. e. The beginning of the aqueduct took near the village of Serik and had a length of 15 km. Its purpose was to supply water to the inhabitants of the city. Today, visitors to Aspendos can only see fragments of the majestic building.
In Roman times, Aspendos could be reached by a bridge over the Eurymedon River (now Köprüçay). The bridge was built in the 13th century. Its foundation was the remains of an ancient bridge located on this site, erected in the 4th century by the Romans and destroyed by a strong earthquake. Stone blocks served as the basis for the construction. The structure was an arched structure, 260 meters long and 8 meters wide. At the end of the 20th century, the Aspendos bridge was restored.
Antique Aspendos is open daily. Entrance to the city is free. The cost of visiting the amphitheater is 20 lire.
The ancient city is amazing. Of course, it is not as big and famous as its neighbor Aspendos. Seleucia (or Pamphylia) is located 23 kilometers from Side among pine forests on a high mountain, which offers breathtaking views of the surrounding landscapes.
The ancient city was founded in the 4th century BC. e. like a fortress. Surrounded by protective walls 9 meters high, it hid the inhabitants of Side from the attack of Cilician pirates. Behind the central gate of the walls, a view of the quadrangular Roman Agora opened up. It is surrounded by galleries, in which in ancient times there were shopping arcades. Baths are located in the western part of the city.
Seleucia was discovered by archaeologists only in the 20th century. Many elements of the decoration of the city walls, mosaics, as well as the statue of Apollo found here are now in the museum of the city of Antalya.
The green canyon, located 40 kilometers from Side, is a paradise for nature lovers. The canyon extends along the banks of the Kepryu River. Here, among the majestic Taurus Mountains, there is the lake-reservoir Oymapinar, formed as a result of the construction in 1977 of a hydroelectric power station and a dam on the Manavgat River. Through this dam, the tunnel leads to the Green Canyon. The name was given to him by the emerald green waters of the lake - the pearl of the natural park.
The depth of the lake 130 meters. Transparent water, snow-capped mountains and fantastic nature create a landscape of incredible beauty. Oymapinar is located at an altitude of 350 meters above sea level, which makes the air temperature comfortable and cool. Nature itself has taken care to make this place attractive for recreation. Here you can ride a pleasure boat, swim and fish.
Sunny Side is always glad to see guests. You can get to it from Antalya Airport by taxi or regular bus. By visiting this ancient city, you will get acquainted with another Turkey, which has come down to contemporaries from the depths of centuries. It's not for nothing that Side is called an "open-air museum".
The Roman theater, approximately 100 meters in size, is the oldest ancient theater in Side, dating back to the 2nd century AD. The theater was built on the site of an even more ancient Hellenistic theater.
The entrance to the theater was carried out through the landings through the covered galleries. The theater was built to accommodate up to 18 thousand spectators on its territory. Such indicators make it possible to boldly assert that the theater was the largest in the entire province of Pamphylia. The rows of the theater are formed in the form of a semicircle with a diameter of 120 meters, and a horizontal passage divides them into even parts. The stage was previously decorated with friezes about Dionysus.
Next to the theater and the baths, the Antique Museum is organized. Today, the remains of Medusa heads and the masks of Tragedy and Comedy, which were used in ancient times for theatrical performances, have been preserved from the props of the theater.
Basilica at the Roman theater
The Basilica of the Roman Theater is located west of the columned Harbor Street. This is one of the best preserved monuments of Byzantine architecture in the architectural and historical complex in Side.
The basilica was built in the Byzantine canon and dates back to the fifth century AD. The building is divided into three sections, which is typical for buildings of the basilica type. The plan of the basilica, as in many similar buildings of the same period, is a cross inscribed in a square. Unfortunately, the roof of the building has collapsed, so it is quite difficult to get an impression of the full appearance of the building.
You can get to the architectural and historical complex in Side by taking a regular bus to the Side Otogar stop.
Entrance to the complex is free.
On the way from Antalya to Alanya is the resort region of Side. This is a favorite holiday destination for European tourists, especially Germans. Hotels here - for every taste. The beaches are mostly sandy with a gentle and comfortable entrance to the sea. The climate is dry. The sea is very warm, by the end of summer it warms up to 28-29 degrees, which is especially attractive for families with small children.
If you are going to spend your holidays in the Side region and are fond of history and archeology, you will enjoy a walk through Ancient Side, an ancient city founded in the 7th century BC. e. and flourished in the era of the Roman period, where monuments of ancient culture have survived to this day.
For our family vacation in Turkey, definitely, it was the resort of Side. We were attracted by absolutely everything in this region. And I really wanted to walk around the ancient city, to get into the atmosphere of ancient times. And we have accomplished what we set out to do. I will say right away that we did not limit ourselves to one trip.
To get to Ancient Side, take a taxi from your hotel, or you can take a dolmush (local public transport). You won't have to travel long. From any resort village in the Side region to the ancient city - just a few minutes drive. Therefore, such a trip is quite possible to carry out with children.
If you go by taxi, tell the driver - Antik Side. You will be stopped near the ruins near the ancient amphitheater. Dolmushi go to the final stop of Side. The fare depends on the distance. During our last trip to Side in 2010, a one-way taxi from the village of Colakli to Ancient Side cost 15 euros or $ 20. A dolmush ride per person cost 1.75 euros ($2.5 or 3 lira). It is more convenient to land at the final stop of the dolmush - you can see more without returning back from the theater. Therefore, if you are going by taxi and want to go to the final one, warn the driver.
Final stop in Side:
A few tips for tourists regarding independent travel in Side by public transport:
- For any trip outside the hotel, take your travel voucher just in case.
- In dolmushes it is better to pay with lira - it is more profitable.
- Usually drivers understand German well, and English is not bad either. Know the location of hotels (in their area). You can ask if you forgot where to get off. But in Russian, most likely, they will not understand you.
So what is the ancient city of Side? What is he?
Antique Side is a large area of the ancient city with destroyed or dilapidated buildings and structures, preserved columns, an ancient amphitheater and other archaeological excavations, a beautiful "pirate"-style embankment, narrow streets, shopping malls, a cozy beach and a small port. Here is the whole Antique Side. It is impossible to come here for one or two hours, as if visiting a single sight. For history buffs, a day is not enough to enjoy a walk.
If your visit to Side falls during the hot summer months, do not forget to bring drinking water, sunscreen and protect your head from the sun. Without all this, the walk will not bring pleasure. On the territory of the ruins, there is almost no place to hide from the sun. And, of course, at noon it is better not to take such a walk.
I propose to look with the help of photographs at those historical sights of Side that have survived to this day.
City plan:
Decoding of attractions:
Side was surrounded on the land side and on the sea side by city walls. To this day, the city walls (City Walls) from the land side have been preserved in good condition:
And in this place there were the main city gates of Side (City Gate). Now there are only ruins:
Triumphal Arch (Triumphal Arch):
The fountain next to the Arc de Triomphe, in the niches of which sculptures of Emperor Vespasian and other statesmen were exhibited (Monument of Vespasian):
Archaeological Museum, the building of which used to be the Agora Bath. The photo also shows the ruins of a fountain with three pools, around which statues of Athena, Apollo and Hermes stood on pedestals (currently exhibited in the museum):
You can walk along the street where there used to be houses (presumably shops). These objects are called Houses:
And these are the ruins of a large house of a wealthy resident of Side (House):
The ruins of the temple of Dionysus (presumably) against the background of the amphitheater:
View of the Agora (Commercial Agora) - a marketplace, which at some point in time also served as a slave market (slave market):
The ruins of a Byzantine building that served, presumably, as a hospital:
View of the city square (State Agora), where official and protocol events were held:
One of the three columned streets of Side (Colonnaded Street):
Nymphaeum (The Monumental Fountain Nymphaeum) - a monumental water source with a pool in the city walls. A close copy of this monument was built in Italy by Septimius Severus.
And this attraction is one of the most important and well-preserved to us - the amphitheater (Theatre). It was built in the 2nd century and was the largest theater in Pamphylia (as the coastal region in the southern part of Asia Minor was called in ancient times). The theater seated about 18,000 spectators.
Entrance to the territory of the Theater is paid, it cost 10 lire in 2010. Only lira was accepted at the box office of the amphitheater. There is an exchange office nearby in a shopping area not far from the theater, where you can easily exchange even rubles for lira.
After visiting the ancient monuments, you can head towards the embankment and take a walk along the quiet streets of Side. There are low-rise brick and wooden residential buildings, some houses have hotels, some have cozy cafes.
Of course, after a walk under the sun, we ordered freshly squeezed orange juice in one of the cafes with great pleasure. The Turkish family - the owners of the cafe - were very friendly with us. The cafe didn't even look like a cafe. Rather, we seemed to be visiting a Turkish family, where we were treated to juice. It was such a feeling.
Not far away - shopping pavilions, which are located around the place where one of the columned streets of Side used to pass:
And now we are on the coast street. There are many cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops. And what is especially nice, it is green here, there are palm trees and other trees, you can relax in the shade. Here is the spirit of pirate times. I would call this street "pirate". Stylized cafes and lively little monkeys perfectly convey the atmosphere of the past, when back in the 1st century BC. e. pirates from Cilicia captured the city and maintained their power over the city until the Roman general Pompey dealt with them.
On the "pirate" street were the most affordable prices in cafes and restaurants. A glass of freshly squeezed orange or pomegranate juice here cost only $1. In the malls, prices were 1.5-2 times higher.
The promenade overlooks the sea and Side beach.
To relax on the small sandy beach of the ancient city of Side, just go down the stairs to the sea, right from the coastal street. The entrance to the sea on this beach is sandy, there are many stones on the shore and in the water, which gives the beach a special flavor. Swimming in the sea, you admire the beautiful views of the ancient city. Indeed, s Here you feel the atmosphere of a European seaside city.
A wonderful seaside street leads to the next monument of the ancient period - the Temple of Apollo (2nd century AD). Five columns (the only thing that survived from the whole temple) of ivory color stand right on the shore just a few meters from the blue Mediterranean Sea. This is such a beautiful essay! You can take wonderful pictures. This attraction is under the protection of the Turkish government and is one of the main attractions of the resort of Side.
Nearby are the ruins of the Temple of Athena:
Here you can sit on the rocky shore and admire the ships passing by. It is especially nice to indulge in romance in the evening and watch the sunset.
Nearby is the port - Big harbor. Here you can rent a small yacht for 1-4 families. In 2010, an hour trip on a yacht without meals cost about $80 (or 50 euros). With meals for 3 families - $ 150. They also offered a day trip with a stop at the Manavgat River.
We remember Side with joy and slight sadness - it was very good here and sometimes you want to return to these places once again! And although there are still many interesting things in the world where you would like to go, why not return to where you really liked it!
Side theater location on the map:
The easiest way to get there is on foot if you live in Side itself. And it's even more interesting, because. literally at every step there are unusual monuments and ancient ruins.
But if your hotel is located far from the theater, then you can take any minibus that goes to, and from there you can walk for 5 minutes. Well, or the easiest and most expensive way is by taxi.
3. Photo walk through the ruins of the ancient theater
And now let's finally see what the ancient theater looks like.
This is how the theater looks from afar from the side of the road - you can’t approach the theater here, it is surrounded by a fence:
I can’t understand this in any way, but for some reason in Turkey it is customary to use ancient ruins for modern purposes - for example, to open a shop in an ancient theater or to have a cafe:
Store shelves right in the ancient ruins:
It all looks a little strange and ridiculous:
But let's leave the ethical side of the issue, let's go to see the theater! At the entrance you need to buy a ticket and go through the turnstile:
All tickets in Turkey are issued in a standard way - only the price and the name of the object change:
Entrance to the theater:
Metal supports are installed everywhere - apparently, there is a risk of collapse:
Plan-scheme of the ancient theater:
We go out to the main platform - here it is the theater in all its glory:
View of the stage - much has been destroyed, but some columns and interesting bas-reliefs have survived:
View from the other side - there is no way to get to the top rows, it's too high and there are no stairs:
But you can go down - however, the stairs are quite steep and collapsed in places, so be careful:
Amphitheater stairs:
Destroyed part of stairs and danger warning:
Look at the right side of the theater - you can see how badly the stairs are destroyed, the steps seem to have flown out:
On the left - the preserved part, on the right - more destroyed:
View of the stage - once there was a solid wall with columns:
Surviving bas-reliefs of comedy and tragedy masks:
Some patterns are quite elegant:
The most interesting pieces are made of white marble, scattered in random order, it’s a pity now it’s hard to understand how it all looked in reality:
Fine Work:
It seems that local archaeologists simply collected different pieces around the area and made them in random order, but earlier, maybe everything looked completely different, the details of white marble stand out too much:
Strange, but for some reason it is forbidden to use a tripod on the territory of the amphitheater. Moreover, there are no such rules anywhere, but as soon as we got a tripod, the guard asked him to remove it. Therefore, only such shots were made:
This is how the audience of the theater used to sit - you can close your eyes and imagine yourself for a second in their place - the theater is filled with a variety of sounds, screams, the crowd around and all the seats are filled, and on the stage brave gladiators are fighting saber-toothed tigers ... You open your eyes, and around again silence and silence:
4. Conclusions, impressions and video
Despite the rather high cost of visiting, the amphitheater is a must-see! We have already visited several other ancient theaters in other cities of Turkey, but this one is by far the most impressive and well-preserved.
It will take no more than 30-40 minutes to visit the theater, you won’t be able to climb the ruins themselves, you can only go down to the stage and walk along it. The fences have already been installed. But from the highest point, cool views of other sights of Side open up and you can even see a piece of the sea. If you choose where to go - to a theater or a museum, then it is definitely better to go to the theater. There are few people here, so you can take great pictures and sit in silence, enjoying the atmosphere of antiquity.
And finally, a short video about the Side amphitheater:
By the way, if you are just going to Side, but have not yet chosen a hotel, then I advise you to look at the hotellook search engine website (there you can find the best deals from 40 booking systems) or choose one of these hotels with a good rating:
