Side
This page is about the ancient city Side on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. For other uses of "Side", see Side (disambiguation).This article does not refer to the ancient city Side on the Black Sea coast of Turkey, or the ancient city of Side in Laconia, Greece.Side (pronounced See-deh) was an ancient maritime city of
Pamphylia, about 16
km from
Seleucia; it currently lies on the southern coast near the villages of
Manavgat and
Selimiye (about 75 km from
Antalya), in
Antalya Province, in the
Asian part of
Turkey. [
1]
Side is located on the eastern part of the Pamphylian coast, which lies about 20 km east of the mouth of the
Eurymedon River. Settlers from
Cyme (Cumæans) in
Aeolia, an ancient district of
Asia Minor, founded the city in the
seventh century BC. Possessing a good harbor for small-craft boats, Side's natural geography made it the most important place in Pamphylia – the region in the south of Asia Minor between
Lycia and
Cilicia, from the
Mediterranean to
Mount Taurus. Moreover, this location made Side one of the most important trade centers in its time. Today, as in yesteryear, the ancient city of Side is situated on a small north-south
peninsula about 1 km long and 400
m across.
During the
sixth century BC, Side fell under the rule of
Lydia, a kingdom in Asia Minor. It gained partial autonomy under
Persian rule after
547 BC. Side minted its own
coins starting in the
fifth century BC even while under Persian rule.
Alexander the Great occupied Side without a struggle in
333 BC. Alexander left only a single garrison behind to occupy the city. This occupation, in turn, introduced the people of Side to
Hellenistic culture of the Greek Civilization, which flourished from the
fourth century to the
first century BC. After Alexander's death, Side fell under the control of one of Alexander's generals,
Ptolemy, who declared himself king of
Egypt in
305 BC. The
Ptolemaic dynasty controled Side until it was captured by the
Seleucid Empire in the
second century BC. Yet, despite these occupations, in the following years of the second century BC, Side managed to preserve some autonomy, grew prosperous, and became an important cultural center.
In
190 BC a fleet from the Greek island
city-state of
Rhodes, supported by
Rome and
Pergamum, defeated the Seleucid King
Antiochus the Great's fleet, which was under the command of the fugitive
Carthagenian general,
Hannibal. The defeat of Hannibal and Antiochus the Great meant that Side freed itself from the overlordship of the Seleucid Empire. In the
first century BC, the Cilician
pirates established their chief naval base and a
slave-trade center at Side.
Later the Roman general
Pompey defeated these brigands in
67 BC, bringing Side under the control of the Roman Empire. Emperor
Augustus, in reforming the administration of the state, placed Pamphylia (and Side) in the Roman province of
Galatia in
25 BC. Side began another prosperous period as a commercial center in Asia Minor. This period would last well into the
third century AD. Yet, Side did establish itself, once again, as a slave-trading center in Mediterranean. As well, its large commercial fleet at times unhesitantly tended to acts of piracy. The significance of this period of time in Side's history, nevertheless, is evident in its ruins today. Most of the present-day ruins found in Side date from this period of prosperity. Wealthy merchants, such as Modesta – albeit a wealthy yet historically unknown figure – paid for such tributes as public works, monuments, and competitions as well as the games and gladiator fights.
Side began to steady decline from about the
fourth century. Even defensive walls could not stop successive invasions from highlanders from the Taurus Mountains. During the
fifth and
sixth centuries, Side was the seat of the Bishopric of Eastern Pamphylia. Arab fleets, nevertheless, raided and burned Side during the
seventh century, contributing to its steady decline.
An inscription found on the site of the former ancient city shows it to have had a considerable
Jewish population in early
Byzantine times. In the
twelfth century, having established itself as a large city once more, Side was yet abandoned after being sacked. Its population moved to
Antalya and Side became known as
Eski Adalia (Old Antalya).
The great ruins are among the most notable in Asia Minor. They cover a large promontory where a wall and a mote separate it from the mainland. During medieval times, the wall and mote were repaired. The promontory houses a wealth of structures. There are colossal ruins of a theater complex built much like a Roman
amphitheater that relies on arches to support the sheer verticals. The Roman style was adopted because Side lacked a convenient hillside that could be hollowed out as in the usual Greek fashion more typical of Asia Minor. The theater is less well preserved than the
Aspendos theater, but it is almost as large. With time and the shifting of the earth, the
scena wall has collapsed over the stage and the
proscenium is in a cataract of loose blocks.
Other than the theater, the remaining ruins of Side include three temples, an aqueduct, and a
nymphaeum. Side's nymphaeum – a grotto with a natural water supply dedicated to the nymphs – was an artificial grotto or fountain building of elaborate design.
Side have given its name to an
Anatolian pomegranate, a symbol for abundance and fertility.
Today Side is a popular vacation destination.It was a favourite spot for watching the
solar eclipse of March 29, 2006.
*
Philip of Side*
Sidetic language*
Saint Probus of Side*
History of Side*
Hazlitt, Classical Gazetteer, "Side"
