Side Antique City is located on a peninsula with a width of 350-400 meters, located 80 km east of Antalya and 7 km south of Manavgat . Side, the most important port city of Pamphylia in ancient times, was founded in the 7th century BC. Side, which was under the domination of Lydia and Persians throughout history, opened its doors to Alexander without resistance during the Anatolian campaign of Alexander of Macedonia.
It became one of the coin issuance centers established by Alexander in Anatolia. Among the structures that can be seen in Side that have survived to the present day are the Temple of Apollo, the Side Theatre, the bath, the Monumental Gate, the Arc de Triomphe and the Temple of Dionysus. It is located within the borders of Selimiye District, which was founded by those who came to the region in 1890 through the population exchange from Crete.
Side Ancient City, Antalya
Side Antique City is one of the most eye-catching historical settlements of Antalya. Located within the borders of Manavgat district of Antalya, the ancient city is 80 km from Antalya city center and 7 km from Manavgat. In ancient times, it was the most important port city of Pamphylia.
The name of the city, whose history dates back to the 8th century BC, means ‘pomegranate’ in Side language, which belongs to the Luwian language group. Side, which was a settlement center in the 7th century BC, came under the rule of the Lydian Kingdom in the 6th century BC, like all the cities of Pamphylia. Side, which came under the domination of the Persians in 547 with the collapse of the Lydian Kingdom, became one of the settlements that minted coins in its own name during this period when it preserved its freedom.
The people of Side, who opened the gates of the city to Alexander without any resistance during the Anatolian campaign of Alexander the Great (334 BC), received the reward of this resistance by being converted into one of Alexander’s coinage centers in Anatolia.
After the death of Alexander, Side came under the rule of the Ptolemies and Seleucids. Side, which was dominated by the Pergamon Kingdom for a short time, experienced its brightest days when it regained its independence.
Side, which started to weaken with the Arab raids, the weight of which was felt in the region since the 7th century AD, was abandoned as of the 12th century after the attacks of Rhodes, Venice and Genoese pirates, as well as attacks from Cyprus and looting during the Crusades.
