# Side Old Town, Turkey > Side Old Town is a Roman port city on a peninsula about 7 km from central Manavgat, with a lively resort village built over the ruins. Walking the streets, gates, colonnade and Temple of Apollo is free at any hour; only the theatre (daily 8:00–19:00) and the museum charge admission. Allow about two hours from the gate to the harbour. Web page: https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-old-town - City: [Side](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side), Turkey - YesGo score: 54/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 2 h - Entry: Free; theatre and museum extra - Opening hours: Old town streets always open; theatre daily 8:00–19:00, ticket office until 18:30 - With kids: Fine with kids - Old town: Free: streets, gates, colonnade, Temple of Apollo, harbour - Theatre: Separate paid ticket; foreign-visitor price being checked - Theatre hours: Daily 8:00–19:00, ticket office until 18:30 - Side Museum: Separate paid ticket — in the Roman baths by the agora - Müzekart: Turkish citizens only - Getting there: Dolmuş from Manavgat or the beach hotels to the stop by the Nymphaeum and main gate - Time needed: ≈ 2 hours on foot, 3 with the theatre - Address: Selimiye Mahallesi, Side, Manavgat, Antalya - Coordinates: 36.76670, 31.38860 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **7th century BC** — founded by Aeolian Greeks from Kyme (source: English and Russian Wikipedia, citing Strabo and Arrian) - **“Pomegranate”** — the meaning of “Side” in the local Anatolian language (source: Russian Wikipedia; Türkiye Kültür Portalı) - **1895** — Muslim settlers from Crete founded the village of Selimiye on the ruins (source: English and Russian Wikipedia (Türkiye Kültür Portalı says early 20th century)) - **334 BC** — the city opened its gates to Alexander the Great without a fight (333 BC in English Wikipedia) (source: Russian Wikipedia; Türkiye Kültür Portalı) - **1st century BC** — Cilician pirates used Side as a base and slave market (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **78 BC** — Rome’s Publius Servilius moved against the pirates and Side passed to Rome (source: Türkiye Kültür Portalı; Russian Wikipedia) - **2nd–3rd centuries AD** — Side’s golden age as a rich port and metropolis of Pamphylia (source: Russian Wikipedia; Türkiye Kültür Portalı) - **30–40 km** — length of the Roman aqueduct from the Manavgat (Melas) river (source: English Wikipedia — 30 km; Turkish Archaeological News — about 40 km) - **15,000–20,000** — spectators held by the theatre, the city’s largest building (source: English Wikipedia; German Wikivoyage — about 15,000) - **5th–6th centuries** — Byzantine revival as seat of the metropolis of Eastern Pamphylia (source: English Wikipedia; Türkiye Kültür Portalı) - **Manavgat** — Side is a neighbourhood of Manavgat district, Antalya province (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Roman baths** — by the agora now house the Side Museum (source: Türkiye Kültür Portalı; German Wikivoyage) > **The old town itself is free** There is no ticket for the ancient city of Side. The gates, Nymphaeum, colonnaded street, Temple of Apollo and harbour are open to everyone around the clock. You pay only for the theatre and the Side Museum. In summer, come early or for sunset — at midday the stone gives off heat and there is little shade. ## Is Side Old Town worth visiting? Yes — it is one of the few places on the Turkish coast where **ancient ruins, the sea and a living town share the same few hundred metres**. You walk to dinner past 2nd-century columns, and the sunset at the Temple of Apollo is the best on this stretch of coast. It is less rewarding if you want quiet, untouched ruins: the lanes are full of shops selling leather, carpets and souvenirs, and in high season the main street is crowded by mid-morning. For empty ruins in the mountains, head to [Selge](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/selge); for a more complete Roman city, Perge near Antalya is better. Side wins when you want history and the beach on the same day. ## Side ancient city entrance fee **Walking the old town costs nothing.** There is no gate ticket: the Hellenistic walls, the Roman arch and Vespasian monument, the colonnade, the agora seen from outside, the Temple of Apollo and the harbour are all free. Two sights charge separately. The [ancient theatre](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-ancient-theatre) is open daily from 8:00 to 19:00, with the ticket office closing at 18:30, according to the official Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism page. The ministry does not publish the foreign-visitor fee, and the figures in guidebooks are clearly out of date, so we are checking it. The [Side Museum](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-museum) in the Roman baths by the agora has its own ticket too. The Müzekart is for Turkish citizens only. Visitors report that the theatre desk takes lira and bank cards but not euros, so bring a card. ## What to see in Side Old Town - **The Nymphaeum by the main gate** — the base of a three-storey fountain fed by the aqueduct; the lower level with three niches survives. - **The main gate and walls** — the Hellenistic entrance on the land side, where the city begins. - **The colonnaded street** — a straight Roman avenue from the gate to the centre, once lined with porticoes and shops. - **The Roman arch and Vespasian monument** beside the theatre — an arch about 13.5 m high and a fountain niche that once held the emperor’s statue. This is the classic Side photo. - **[The agora](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-agora)** — the market square where pirates once sold slaves. - **The theatre** — the biggest building in town, with Dionysus reliefs on the stage front. - **[The Temple of Apollo](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-temple-of-apollo)** — a few re-erected columns on the tip of the peninsula, best at sunset. - **[The harbour](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-harbour)** — boats and waterfront cafés where the walk ends. ## How to get to Side Old Town 1. From Manavgat: at the dolmuş station east of the town centre, take a minibus signed “Side” — about 15–20 minutes. Pay the driver. 2. From the hotels in Side, Kumköy, Sorgun or Titreyengöl: flag down a dolmuş marked “Side” on the main road; it runs along the coast to the old town. 3. Get off at the last stop by the Nymphaeum and main gate. Drivers park in the large paid car park here — tourist cars can’t drive into the old town. 4. Walk through the gate and along the colonnaded street for about 5–10 minutes to the Roman arch, the Vespasian monument and the theatre. 5. Carry on through the pedestrian lanes for about 10 minutes to the Temple of Apollo and the harbour. From Antalya, first take an intercity bus to Manavgat (about 1.5 hours), then the dolmuş. ## How long do you need in Side? **Two hours** covers the walk from the main gate to the harbour with stops at every major ruin. Add 30–45 minutes for the theatre and about 45 for the museum. If you want to see the temple at sunset and stay for dinner, make it a full late afternoon and evening. Coach tours from Antalya and Alanya often bundle Side with Aspendos, Perge and the [Manavgat Waterfall](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/manavgat-waterfall); on those you get about an hour here — enough for the theatre and the temple, not for the lanes. If Side matters to you, come on your own for half a day. ## A short history of Side Greek settlers from Kyme in Aeolis founded Side around the **7th century BC**. The name isn’t Greek: in the local Anatolian language it meant “pomegranate”, and the fruit appears on the city’s coins. Side surrendered to Alexander the Great without a fight in 334 or 333 BC — sources differ. In the 1st century BC Cilician pirates made it their base and slave market, until Rome moved against them from 78 BC and absorbed the city. The 2nd and 3rd centuries AD were its peak, and most of what you see — the aqueduct, theatre, baths and colonnades — dates from then. Side revived again in the 5th–6th centuries as a Byzantine metropolitan see, then declined after Arab raids and earthquakes and was empty by the 12th century. In 1895 Muslim settlers from Crete built the village of Selimiye among the ruins, and that village grew into today’s resort. ## Side ruins map: how the town is laid out The layout is simple: **you enter from the north-east and walk south-west to the sea**. At the neck of the peninsula are the car park, the Nymphaeum and the main gate. The main street runs from there to the theatre, the agora and the museum halfway down. Beyond the theatre is the old village of Selimiye, whose lanes still follow much of the Roman grid, with column drums on many corners. The Temple of Apollo and the smaller Temple of Athena stand at the tip, with the harbour beside them. End to end it is about 1 km — 15–20 minutes without stops. > **Avoid the midday heat** From June to September the marble and sand around the theatre get very hot, and shade is scarce. Arrive before 10:00, when the streets are still empty, or after 17:00 — you will still make the theatre’s ticket cut-off and reach the temple for sunset. Bring water, a hat and proper shoes: some paths between the ruins are sandy. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Going in the morning or late afternoon, not at midday - [ ] Bank card for the theatre ticket desk - [ ] At the theatre before 18:30 - [ ] Water, hat and sunscreen - [ ] Shoes for stone and sand - [ ] Allowed about 2 hours, 3 with the theatre - [ ] Checked today’s sunset time for the Temple of Apollo ## Old town, theatre, temple or museum: what to choose | | Old town | Theatre | Temple of Apollo | Side Museum | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Entry | Free | Separate ticket | Free | Separate ticket | | Hours | Always open | 8:00–19:00 | Always open | Being checked | | Time needed | ≈ 2 h | 30–45 min | 15–20 min | ≈ 45 min | | Best time | Morning or evening | Morning | Sunset | Midday, in the heat | | Best for | Everyone | Ancient-history fans | Photos | Sculpture lovers | Short on time? Walk the old town from the gate to the Temple of Apollo — it’s free and covers the essentials. The theatre is worth its ticket if you haven’t seen Aspendos. The museum is a good plan for the hottest hours. ## Historic sights around Side compared Every historic sight 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 main gate past the theatre and museum to the Temple of Apollo at sunset, then dinner at the harbour. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and walks. 1. [Side Old Town](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-old-town) — YesGo score 54/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · Free; theatre and museum extra 2. [Roman Theatre of Side](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-ancient-theatre) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Closed for restoration 3. [Side Museum](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-museum) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · €5, under 8 free 4. [Temple of Apollo](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-temple-of-apollo) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free 5. [Side Harbour](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-harbour) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free ## Good to know Syedra is a different ancient site near Alanya, and Perge and Aspendos are separate ruins closer to Antalya, often combined with Side on one tour. A hotel with “Side” in its name may be 10 km away: the resort name covers the whole coast from Kumköy to Titreyengöl. ## Tips - Start at the Nymphaeum and gate and finish at the Temple of Apollo — you’ll reach the sea just in time for sunset. - Sit out the midday heat in the Side Museum: it’s inside stone Roman baths and stays cooler. - The harbour is the easy dinner stop — a couple of minutes’ walk from the temple. - Already seen Aspendos? You can view Side’s theatre walls from the street and save the time. - Before 10:00 the ruins are almost empty — the best time for photos without crowds. - Look out for stretches of the aqueduct by the Side turn-off on the D400 coast road. ## Questions ### Is Side Old Town free? Yes. The streets, gates, colonnade, Temple of Apollo and harbour are free and open at all hours. Only the theatre and the Side Museum charge for entry. ### How much is the entrance fee to Side’s ancient theatre? It is a separate ticket. The ministry doesn’t publish the foreign-visitor price and guidebook figures are out of date, so we are checking it. Bring a bank card — euros aren’t accepted. ### What are the opening hours of the Side theatre? Daily 8:00–19:00, with the ticket office closing at 18:30, according to the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The old town streets never close. ### How do I get to Side Old Town from Manavgat? Take a dolmuş signed “Side” from Manavgat’s dolmuş station — about 15–20 minutes to the stop by the Nymphaeum and main gate. Then walk. ### How long do you need in Side? About two hours for the walk from the gate to the harbour; three to four with the theatre and museum; a whole evening with sunset and dinner. ### Is Side Old Town worth visiting? Yes, if you like ruins with the sea and cafés around them. If you want quiet, untouched sites, Selge or Perge will suit you better. ### Can you visit Side without a tour? Easily. The dolmuş drops you at the gate, everything is walkable and the main ruins have signs. A guide only adds detailed history. ### When is the best time to visit Side ruins? Spring and autumn are most comfortable. In summer go before 10:00 or after 17:00, and finish at the Temple of Apollo for sunset. ### Is Side good for kids? Yes: it’s pedestrian, free to walk and close to the beach and cafés. In summer keep to mornings and evenings and carry water. ## How we checked Theatre hours, the ticket-office cut-off and the Müzekart rule come from the official Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism page. It shows no fee, and guidebook figures disagree and are clearly old, so theatre and museum prices are left out and marked as being checked; museum hours are being checked too. Free access to the old town streets is confirmed by Turkish Archaeological News and travel guides. Other facts are checked against at least two sources. Where sources disagree: Alexander’s arrival is 334 BC in Russian Wikipedia and Türkiye Kültür Portalı but 333 BC in English Wikipedia, so we show both; the Cretan settlement is 1895 in Wikipedia and “early 20th century” at Kültür Portalı; the aqueduct is 30 km in Wikipedia and about 40 km at Turkish Archaeological News, so we give 30–40 km; theatre capacity is 15,000–20,000 in English Wikipedia, over 20,000 in Russian Wikipedia and about 15,000 in Wikivoyage, so we give 15,000–20,000. Dolmuş routes and times come from Wikivoyage and transport guides and are marked as being checked; we found no reliable source for a shuttle train from the car park, so we don’t mention one. ## Sources - Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (muze.gov.tr): Side Antik Tiyatrosu — hours, ticket office, Müzekart, 30.10.2026 - Türkiye Kültür Portalı: Side Antik Kenti — history, gates, streets, temples, museum, address - English and Russian Wikipedia: Side, Turkey; Сиде; Wikidata Q152405 - Turkish Archaeological News: Monumental gate and Vespasian monument in Side; The aqueduct and nymphaion of Side - Vici.org: Monument of Vespasian, Side - German Wikivoyage: Side — dolmuş routes, the stop by the Nymphaeum, theatre payment --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.