# Roman Theatre of Side > The Roman Theatre of Side is a 2nd-century AD theatre for 15,000–20,000 spectators and the biggest building of the ancient city. The key thing: **it has been closed for restoration since 29 November 2024**, with no reopening date from Turkey’s Ministry of Culture. You can’t go inside, but the arched façade is free to see from the street — allow 30–45 minutes with a walk around. Web page: https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-ancient-theatre - City: [Side](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side), Turkey - YesGo score: 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 45 min - Entry: Closed for restoration - Opening hours: Closed for restoration since 29 November 2024, no reopening date; the outside can be seen at any time - With kids: Fine with kids - Right now: Closed for restoration since 29.11.2024 - Reopening: No date announced - From outside: Arched façade visible from the street, free - Side Örenyeri (paid site area): €7 for foreign visitors, under-8s free - What the ticket covers while the theatre is shut: Ask at the ticket office - Combined with the museum: €10 - Müzekart: Turkish citizens only - Museum Pass Türkiye: Not confirmed — ask at the ticket office - Paid area hours: From 8:00; closing time varies by season and source - Getting there: Dolmuş from Manavgat to the stop by the Vespasian Gate, then a 5–10 minute walk - Address: Side Mahallesi, Liman Caddesi, Manavgat, Antalya - Coordinates: 36.76790, 31.39060 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **29.11.2024** — closed for restoration from this date until the works are finished (source: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (museums portal); Sputnik8 on works starting in autumn 2024) - **2nd century AD** — when the theatre was built (source: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism; English Wikipedia; Turkish Archaeological News) - **15,000–20,000** — spectators — estimates differ (source: English Wikipedia (15,000–20,000); Turkish Archaeological News (up to 15,000); Russian Wikipedia (over 20,000)) - **Vaults** — the lower rows rest on a slope, the upper ones on stone vaults (source: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism; Turkish Archaeological News) - **3 storeys** — in the stage building (source: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism; Turkish Archaeological News) - **3rd century** — a high wall turned the orchestra into an arena (source: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism; Turkish Archaeological News) - **Gladiators** — besides plays, it hosted gladiator fights and animal hunts (source: Russian Wikipedia; Turkish Archaeological News) - **5th century** — it became an open-air church with two chapels (source: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism; English Wikipedia; Turkish Archaeological News) - **The neck** — it stands at the narrowest point of the peninsula, the heart of the ancient city (source: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism; Turkish Archaeological News) - **7th century BC** — Side was founded by Greek settlers from Cyme in Aeolis (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) > **Is Side theatre open? No — it is under restoration** Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism closed the theatre on 29 November 2024 “until the works are completed”, with no end date. An older listing on muze.gov.tr still says “open”, but the ministry’s museums portal announces the closure. Don’t book a tour expecting to sit in the seats — you’ll see the façade and a construction fence. ## Side theatre tickets and entrance fee There is no way in at the moment, so there is nothing to pay for the theatre itself. Seeing it from outside is **free** — the road into the old town runs right along its façade. The paid Side Örenyeri site area is listed by the ministry at **€7 for foreign visitors**, with children under 8 free. The official pages don’t say what that ticket includes while the theatre is fenced off, so ask before you pay. Local press also quotes a €10 ticket for the site plus the museum, which the ministry’s own price list tags “theatre closed”. The Side Museum alone is €5. Müzekart is for Turkish citizens only. We could not confirm whether the Museum Pass Türkiye is accepted. ## Is the Side ancient theatre worth visiting now? Only as a stop on your way into the old town. While the restoration lasts, you get the outside: two tiers of arches, the thickness of the walls and the sheer size of the building. That takes 15–20 minutes and costs nothing. Don’t make a special trip for it. If a Roman theatre is the reason you came, go to Aspendos near Antalya instead — it is open and almost complete, stage wall and all. In Side, spend the time on the [Temple of Apollo](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-temple-of-apollo) at sunset and the [Side Museum](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-museum). ## Theatre or amphitheatre? A short history It is a **theatre**, not an amphitheatre. A Roman amphitheatre is a full oval for fights, like the Colosseum; a theatre is a fan of seats facing a stage. Side’s seating spreads a little more than a semicircle, facing a three-storey stage building decorated in the Antonine style — the ministry describes a frieze of Dionysus, god of wine and theatre. The amphitheatre label has some logic. In the 3rd century a high wall was built around the orchestra to turn it into an arena, and Russian Wikipedia records gladiator fights and animal hunts here. In the 5th century the theatre became an open-air church, with two small chapels at the ends of the seating. Side had no suitable hill, so the builders laid the lower rows on a gentle slope and raised the upper ones on stone vaults — which is why the outside looks so much like the Colosseum. The city itself is far older: Greek settlers from Cyme founded it in the 7th century BC. ## What you can see while it is closed - **The arched façade** — two tiers of vaults along the street; best from the main road and the car-park side. - **The archway by the theatre** — the road into the old town passes through it, and you get a sense of how thick the walls are. - The commercial [agora](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-agora) right behind the theatre, once linked to the stage building by passages. - The Side Museum in the old Roman baths — sculpture and reliefs from the excavations. - Further on: the [old town](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-old-town), the [harbour](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-harbour) and the Temple of Apollo by the sea. ## How to get to the Roman Theatre of Side 1. From Manavgat or the coastal hotels, take a dolmuş (shared minibus) signed Side — about 15 minutes from Manavgat. 2. Get off at the last stop, by the car park and the Vespasian Gate at the entrance to the old town. 3. Walk 5–10 minutes down the main street towards the sea, or ride the little shuttle train from the car park. 4. The theatre is the huge wall of arches on your left — the road runs right past it. 5. Carry on on foot: the agora, the museum and the street to the harbour all start here. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] I know the theatre is closed inside for now - [ ] Plan includes the museum, agora and Temple of Apollo - [ ] Cash or a card for the dolmuş - [ ] Water and a hat — little shade by the façade - [ ] Comfortable shoes for the stone streets - [ ] Evening kept free for sunset at the Temple of Apollo ## Theatre, Temple of Apollo, museum or agora? | | Theatre | Temple of Apollo | Side Museum | Agora | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | 2nd-century Roman theatre | Temple columns by the sea | Excavation finds in Roman baths | Market square by the theatre | | Can you go in? | No, restoration | Yes, open-air ruins | Yes | See its page | | Entry | Free from outside | Free | €5 | Verifying | | Time needed | 15–20 min outside | 20–30 min | ≈ 1 h | 20–30 min | | Best time | Morning, before the heat | Sunset | Midday heat | Morning | While the theatre is shut, Side’s highlights are the Temple of Apollo at sunset and the museum. Walk past the theatre on the way; don’t come for it alone. ## Ancient Side compared Every historic site in Side rated by YesGo. - [Side Old Town](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-old-town) — YesGo score 54/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · Free; theatre and museum extra - [Agora of Side](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-agora) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free — view through the fence - [Side Harbour](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-harbour) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Temple of Apollo](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-temple-of-apollo) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free - [Roman Theatre of Side](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-ancient-theatre) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Closed for restoration - [Side Museum](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-museum) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · €5, under 8 free - [Selge](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/selge) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free, no ticket office - [Köprülü Canyon](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/koprulu-canyon) — YesGo score 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · Free entry; rafting via tours ## Ancient Side in half a day From the theatre at the old-town entrance to the agora and museum, down the street to the harbour and on to the Temple of Apollo for sunset. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Roman Theatre of Side](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-ancient-theatre) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Closed for restoration 2. [Agora of Side](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-agora) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free — view through the fence 3. [Side Museum](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-museum) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · €5, under 8 free 4. [Side Harbour](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-harbour) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free 5. [Temple of Apollo](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-temple-of-apollo) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free > **Want a complete Roman theatre? Go to Aspendos** The theatre at Aspendos, near Antalya, is open and survives almost intact, stage wall included. It is a separate trip of roughly an hour from Side — plan it if theatres are why you came. ## Good to know Many travellers call it the Side amphitheatre — it is this Roman theatre. Evening shows sold in hotels are held at modern venues; nothing is staged in the ancient theatre while it is closed. The Aspendos theatre is a different site, near Antalya. ## Tips - Don’t build a day around the theatre: during the restoration it is a 15–20 minute look from outside on your way into the old town. - The façade photographs best in the morning, when the sun is on the street side of the arches. - Save the evening for the Temple of Apollo — columns against the sea at sunset. - On a hot afternoon, duck into the Side Museum to see sculpture from the excavations in the cool. - If a tour promises entry to the amphitheatre, ask again — nobody is allowed inside right now. - For a complete Roman theatre, take a trip to Aspendos. ## Questions ### Is the Side ancient theatre open? No. It has been closed for restoration since 29 November 2024 until the works are completed; the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism has not announced a reopening date. You can see the outside for free. ### How much is the entrance fee for Side theatre? You can’t go inside right now. The paid Side Örenyeri site area is €7 for foreign visitors, under-8s free; ask at the ticket office what it covers while the theatre is shut. ### What are the opening hours? The theatre itself is closed. The paid site area opens at 8:00; the ministry’s pages give different closing times by season, so check on the day. ### Is it a theatre or an amphitheatre? A theatre — a fan of seats facing a stage. In the 3rd century the orchestra was walled in as an arena for fights, which is why many people call it an amphitheatre. ### How old is the theatre in Side? It dates from the 2nd century AD. It became an arena in the 3rd century and an open-air church with two chapels in the 5th. ### How do I get to Side theatre? Take a dolmuş from Manavgat or the coastal hotels to the car park by the Vespasian Gate, then walk 5–10 minutes along the main street or take the shuttle train. ### Is Side worth visiting while the theatre is closed? Yes, for the old town, the Temple of Apollo at sunset and the museum. For a complete Roman theatre, go to Aspendos near Antalya. ### How long do I need at the theatre? Fifteen to twenty minutes from outside. With the agora, museum and the walk to the Temple of Apollo, allow half a day. ### Side theatre or Aspendos — which is better? Aspendos, by a long way: it is open and nearly complete. Side’s theatre is bigger in footprint but ruined and closed for restoration. ## How we checked The closure from 29.11.2024 “until the works are completed” and the site-area fare (€7 for foreign visitors, under-8s free) come from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s museums portal. Where sources disagree: the Side Theatre listing on muze.gov.tr still says “open” — we treat it as out of date and follow the newer closure notice; we found no reopening news by 30.10.2026. Three ministry pages give different hours for the paid area (8:00–19:00 with tickets to 18:30; 8:00–19:00 in summer and 8:00–17:00 in winter; 8:00–19:30 in October), so the closing time is marked “verifying”. The €10 site-plus-museum ticket and the €5 museum fare come from local press and an older ministry price list. What the ticket covers while the theatre is closed, and whether the Museum Pass is valid, are unconfirmed. Capacity is 15,000–20,000 in English Wikipedia, up to 15,000 at Turkish Archaeological News and over 20,000 in Russian Wikipedia; we show 15,000–20,000. Neither Wikipedia has an article on the theatre itself, so the markup links Wikidata only. The dolmuş route and journey times come from maps and local descriptions and are marked “verifying”. ## Sources - Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, museums portal: Antalya Side Örenyeri — theatre closure, fares, address, history, 30.10.2026 - Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, muze.gov.tr: Side Theatre listing — hours, Müzekart, description of the building - Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism: Antalya Side Archaeological Site leaflet — seasonal hours - English Wikipedia: Side, Turkey; Russian Wikipedia: Сиде; Wikidata Q19368273 - Turkish Archaeological News: Roman theatre in Side - Antalya Körfez Gazetesi, 2026 — site, museum and combined ticket prices - Sputnik8 — on the restoration starting in autumn 2024 --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.