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SiDE
Heading South 75
km. from Antalya lies Alanya. From the main road is a nice avenue
winding through hotels and houses for about 3 km which will lead
you to Side. This is the furthest city in the east part of the
historical area of Pamphylia. Situated on a peninsula about 1000
m long and 400 m. wide, it played an important role as a commercial
port. Side used to be one of the most important trade centres
in the antiquity and now it is one of the most popular holiday
resort towns in Turkey.
According to Strabon the ancient geographer, Side was first established
in the 7 th century B.C. as a trade colony of the Aegean city
Kyme, near Ýzmir. Merchants took up the local language,
and Side took the name "Side", meaning pomegranate,
a fruit symbolizing abundance and fertility.
Like the other Pamphylian cities,
Side was ruled by Lybia(?) in the sixth cent. B.C. and Persia
after 547 B.C. The coins minted in there prove that Side had at
least an internal independence.
Alexander the Great conquered Side in the first year of the great
campaign on Asia in 334 B.C., and was introduced the city to Hellenistic
culture. After his death the empire was shared by generals. The
Southern Turkey, including Side changed hands quite often, especially
between the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt ( 3rd century B.C.) and
the Seleucid dynasty of Syria ( 2nd century B.C.) after the apameia
peace agreement between the Romans and the defeated Syrian kingdom.
Pergama could not gain complete control over Side. King Attalos
of Pergama founded a new city, Attaleia (Antalya) as a commercial
rival to Side and others on the Southern coast. At the turn of
century Side was a slave-trade centre in the hands of Pirates.
Only the Romans were able to stop piracy on the eastern Mediterranean
and allow the southern Anatolian cities in Cilicia, Pamphylia
and Lycia to prosper again in peace and safety in 78 B.C.
Pamphylia was added to the province of Galatia by emperor Augustus
in 25 B.C. when all the provinces in the Roman empire were re-organised.
Side had a second birth with abundant wealth until the 3rd century
A.D. as a Pamphylian city, placed sometimes in Galatia, and at
other time in Lycia. Especially its active role in the slave trade
enabled this semi-independent city to acquire wealth and most
of the structures in ruins seen today were built during this period
of time. Side felt it necessary to repaire the defensive walls
in the second half of the 3rd century A.D because of successive
attacks by the highlanders in the north. Furthermore, they built
an inner wall right through the city in the 4th cent A.D.. Unfortunately,
these precautions were not enough to secure Side’s great
days of wealth, and Side started to decline.
SiDE IN MYTHOLOGY
One day, according to Anatolion mythology, the god Taurus
took her youngest daughter Side, who had been the goddes of nature
and abundance, to the valley of the River Manauwa (Manavgat).
This was a place for picking flowers to make wreaths with the
Nymphs (water-fairies). While picking these flowers and dancing
with the Nymphs, Side suddenly sees a tree with thin branches
having shiny leaves and colourful flowers. She breaks off a branch,
to take it to her little daugther. As she breaks the branch it
starts to bleed. Side realizes that the tree is not real and that
it is a Nymph who had escaped from some wicked human beings and
taken the shape of a tree. She is so sorry and so scared that
she wants to go away, but she can't. She is stuck and she feels
her feet become buried in the ground. Her body then takes the
form of a tree. The Nymphs are sad and start crying. The fresh
roots of Side are said to be watered with the tears of these Nymphs.
Side said that it was her fault and asked the Nymphs to take a
message to her little daugher The message is as follows; From
now on I'll be the symbol of nature, life and abundance with my
blood-red rich fruit, I ask you to take my daughter here from
time to time, to play in my shade. And warn her not to pick flowers
and never damage trees on earth; because any of those trees could
be a Goddess. This is why the peninsula of Side full of pomegranate
trees.
THE CITY WALLS
The walls of Antique Side surround the city all around the peninsula.
The length of the inner walls is about 6 km. The width of the
walls on the sea-side is nearly 3 meters at some points. The height
reaches 10 m. On the walls there are 13 semi-circular and rectangular
towers for watching and defence.
THE GREAT GATE OF THE
CITY
The main entrance, The GREAT GATE, was built in the North-East.
The oldest entrance of the Antique City, now in ruins, had been
restored many times. The last form of the Gate was given in Roman
times. It was built as two storeys on an arched base. To defend
the gate were two towers on each side where the soldiers were
on guard. These towers are about 10m high.
THE EASTERN GATE
The secont Great Gate of the City was built to the East of the
city. The Gate was buried in sand for many years, and has recently
been cleaned up and is being exhibited. It had been built with
conglomerate types of block-stones. You can walk to the Square
of Protocol passing two circle-arched corridors behind the door
on which there are two rectangular watch and defence towers. The
base of The Square which is 50m wide had been decorated with mosaics
during Byzantium times.
WATER ARCHES
In Antique times the water needed in Side was brought from the
river Manavgat by means of water-arches (aqueducts) which were
built between the village Sevinç of today and Side. The
length of the waterway is 30 km and the height reachs 25m at some
points. Some parts of the waterway was carved into rocks.
THE GRAND MONUMENTAL
FOUNTAIN
The Grand Monumental Fountain was built near the Castellum
Aqua, which could be seen at the end of the waterway on the arches
that brought water to the city from the River Manavgat. It stands
opposite the Great Entrance Gate in the northwest of the city.
The fountain seems to have two storeys today; but it is supposed
to have been built in three storeys with the dimensions 5 m height
and 35 m width.
KOLONNEL STREET
The street that starts at the door of Protocol, was built in between
the Great Entrance Gate and takes you to the Square of Agora,
south, and is 250 m long with columns on both sides. It was given
the name "Kolonnel Street".
HOUSES
The ruins of the Antique Houses on both sides of Kolonnel Street,
were mainly built as diateas (living-rooms), lined-up around the
big inner hall named Atrium. There was usually a fountain in the
middle of the inner hall, and floors of the rooms were decorated
with mosaics.
AGORA
The Big Agora of the city takes place in front of the
theatre which was built at the end of Kolonnel Street. It measures
92x92 m (outer) and 65x65 m (inner). The entrance to the Agora
is supposedly through the monumental gate in the west. The Agora
is surrounded by granite columns and was called Portiko. You can
reach the Portiko, which is 4 m wide, walking up two flights of
stairs. There are decorated marble blocks on 100 chorinthiand
and ionic columns. In the middle of the Agora you notice the ruins
of a temple (as could be found in all Antique Cities) with 12
columns surrounding it. It had belonged to the goddess of luck
and commerce, Fortuna. People from different social classes could
have discussions in the Agoras and inform the crowds. The Agora
in Side was connected to the stage building of the theatre by
means of a passage and both places were used for slave trading,
in B.C 100.
THE MONUMENTAL LIBRARY
AND THE STATE AGORA
You can reach the square State Agora after a short walk
of about 50 meters along a stony road in the East direction from
the Commercial Agora. The Portika of the Agora is surrounded by
double columns on all sides and was used for offical purposes
and protocols. Around it there were official buildings.
THE PALACE OF THE BISHOP
AND ITS BASILICA
The Palace and Basilica seen in the complex of a building takes
place near by the Eastern Gate. In the middle of the courtyard
between the Palace and the Basilica there is the martyrion and
you can enter the complex of from the western side. The rooms
of the complex have many sections and they have arches made of
bricks. In the middle of the complex there is a square area with
three sections for sitting. The Schabel of the Bishop can still
be seen in front of the platform, and the obsis has the characteristics
of Byzantian construction. The Great Basilica of the Bishop in
the Eastern part of the complex was probably built in A.D. 600
and had a trancept plan. The obsis of the Basilica in the Eastern
direction has a spherical plan inside and a triangular one on
the outside.
THE FOUNTAIN OF VESPASIANUS
The front side of the one-arched (15 m high and 7 m wide)
fountain was covered with marble. It was situated between the
museum present today and the Western end of the Agora near the
Theatre. This fountain with one tap is very attractive with its
marble frescos.
THE FOUNTAIN WITH THREE
POOLS
Opposite the Fountain of Vespasianus stands the Fountain with
three Pools on one side of the Agora Bath facing the street with
coloumns. The fountain was probably built in 300 A.D. In front
of the fountain there were corinthian columns, but today you can
only see the three pools covered with marble.
THEATRE
Theatres were important places for the activities of groups of
people in Antique times. Struggles with nature were also significant
events in those days. People started showing their feelings towards
the events they faced and the productions resulting from their
struggle with the nature were symbolized in festivals. At the
very beginning, human-beings disclosed their feelings by celebrating
such events by singing and dancing. The first dramas came out
of those celebrations. Carving rows of seats in slopes in Antique
Cities and making circular areas in the middle of 500 B.C. were
the first steps taken in the architecture of Theatres. Highly
tolerated actors could even make fun of the gods and the Emperors
in their plays. The players could also start a discussion with
the audiences after the dramas in which they criticise things
related to their country. When the plays were approved of, a great
applause could be heard and when they disapproved, the audiences
would protest by hitting the stone of the marble seats with their
sandals. In the two epigraphs which were discovered in excavations
it was written that Modesta, who was one of the richest men of
Side, had financed fights between Gladiators. The two epigraphs
are being displayed in the Museum of Side. During the raids of
Arabs in the 8th century the theatre was burned down and destroyed.
Later, the building of the stage collapsed at the orchestra pit
due to a earthquake. The excavations and explorations in the theatre
are still in proggress.
THE TEMPLE OF MEN
In the north of the Great Harbour Bath there is the Temple of
Men. The temple was built in the name of the anatolian moon god,
Men, and it had a semi-circular podium. Supposedly, the temple
was built in 500 B.C. and was restored twice; first in the times
of Alexander the Great and later in the Byzantian period.
THE TEMPLE OF BACUS
The ruins of the Temple of Bacus today was situated in the North
end of The Square just in front of the Entrance of the theatre
of Side. Only the stairs and the marble podium of the temple remain
today.The temple was constructed in the name of the god of wine
and entertainment, Bacus. In front of the entrance there were
four Corinthian columns made of red granite. And you can walk
up to the front area going up 7 marble stairs with five half columns
on each side. The plan was a Pouseudoperipteros one. It was discovered
that the temple was built near a small theatre before the construction
of the great theater of Side in 300 B.C.
THE GREAT HARBOUR BATH
The Bath complex with four big halls parallel to each other and
three rooms built next to them was constructed to the South of
Side theatre, just behind the harbour walls. The Bath, which was
built in A.D. 300 and was restored several times´was rectangular.
In later years two gyms. were added to the complex. You can enter
the bath trough the changing-room in the north named Apoditerum.
THE TEMPLE OF APOLLON
The two temples which were built next to each other within a Peripteros
plan were situated in the Southern end of the peninsula Side.
The one in the East belonged to Apollo and the one in the west
to Athena. During the period of Paxromana, the Goddess of Anatolia,
Kybele and the moon god, Men, were purified and sanctified with
the head gods of Side, Apollo and Athena. This was why the people
of Side built those two splendid temples. The temple which was
built for the god Apollo, who had been sanctified as the god of
light, beauty and art had a rectangular plan with the dimensions
of 17x30 m. On top of it there are corinthian columns (8,90 m.
high and in rows 6 by11). The columns around the temple had bases
with holes in the middle: showing us that there were pieces of
iron underneath on which the columns were situated.
THE TEMPLE OF ATHENA
This temple was built next to the temple of Apollo in the form
of a peripheros plan with the dimensions 20x35 m. It is a little
bigger than the Temple of Apollo and has columns similar to it.
The block on the columns attracts attention with its decorative
reliefs.
THE HARBOUR OF SIDE
The southern location of the harbour on the peninsula was very
important for Side which was a maritine business center. The harbour
was surrounded by a breakwater made of conglpmerat stones.
THE HARBOUR BATH
During the period of Paxromana, with the growth of trade, Bath
was built behind The Harbour in order to cover the need.
THE SIDE MUSEUM
With few restorations in the recent years the Side museum was
founded on the complex of the Bath which was built in the period
of Romans. You enter the museum through the door on the East side.
Then you go into the stony courtyard which is known as the second
tepidorium of the Bath. When crossing the courtyard you enter
a big garden. Around the courtyard and in the garden you can see
tombs, columns, busts, inscriptions, statues, pedestals and reliefs
which were excavated from the city Antique Side. The garden of
the museum is actually the courtyard, and is the Gym. The most
important monument in the marble floored courtyard is the series
of frieses which have the mythological tales of Poseidon, the
god of seas on the Northern Wall. In these stories the relationship
of the gods and goddesses with nature is described. In the passages
between the sections of the Bath there are coloured fences.
Side City Map