In the center of the side are the remains of a 2,000-seat theater with a seating capacity of 15,000. Near the port are the white marble columns of the Greek Temple of Apollo. Archaeological excavations are everywhere, and the most valuable finds are on display at the Side Museum, which houses a restored Roman bath complex.
Side city has a rich ancient history. It was founded by the Greeks in the 7th century BC and got its name, which literally translates as "pomegranate", in honor of one of the symbols of the goddess Artemis. During the time of Alexander the Great, Side turned into a major port and center of the slave trade.
Now the old part of the city of Side is a real open-air museum. The old city is surrounded by powerful walls, through which you can get through the main gate. Guests are greeted by the antique Nymphaeum fountain. Here are the ruins of an ancient amphitheater for 15 thousand places, where gladiators used to fight; the shopping area - Agora, the beautiful temple of Apollo with columns, the aqueduct, the temple of Athena.
Closer to the old harbor, you can find the temples of Apollo and Athena (they were once built into the walls of a huge Byzantine basilica, but the latter practically collapsed - and the temples survived), the urban agora on the eastern side of the peninsula, as well as the ruins of Cleopatra's thermal baths behind the Nilgin market.