Side Ancient City
One of the main harbour cities of ancient Pamphylia, with ruins inside today's town.
Built on a small peninsula, the ancient city lies intertwined with the modern town of Side.
The city gate, colonnaded street, agora, theatre and seaside temples can all be explored on foot.
🏛️ History
Side is believed to have been founded in the 7th century BC by Greek settlers from Cyme in Aeolis; its name is thought to mean "pomegranate" in an old Anatolian language.
Alexander the Great took the city without a fight in 333 BC; the Ptolemies and Seleucids followed. In 190 BC a Seleucid fleet commanded by Hannibal was defeated by the Rhodians off Side. In the 1st century BC the city became a base for Cilician pirates and a centre of the slave trade; in 67 BC Pompey brought Side under Roman control, and it enjoyed its heyday in the Roman period.
In the 5th and 6th centuries it was the seat of the bishopric of Eastern Pamphylia. After Arab raids in the 7th century it declined and was abandoned by the 10th century. In 1895 Turkish immigrants from Crete settled among the ruins and named the village Selimiye. Excavations began in 1947.
How to get there
The buttons open Google Maps with step-by-step directions from where you are.
Minibuses (dolmuş) run from Manavgat to Side frequently (about every 15 minutes); the ride takes about 20 minutes. During the day they terminate at Side bus station, from where a small train shuttles to the town centre at short intervals – you can also walk.
Pay the fare on board in cash; small notes are best.
- To Manavgat centre: 5.3 km
(straight-line distance)