# Temple of Apollo, Side > The Temple of Apollo is five 2nd-century marble columns on the southern tip of Side, right by the sea — the town’s postcard image. It’s free and open 24 hours; 20–30 minutes is plenty. But since May 2026 it has been under restoration: the columns are scaffolded and fenced, with completion expected in 2027. Come at sunset. Web page: https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-temple-of-apollo - City: [Side](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side), Turkey - YesGo score: 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 30 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free, no ticket - Hours: 24 hours, open-air site - Right now: Under restoration since May 2026, scaffolded; completion expected 2027 - Time needed: 20–30 minutes, longer at sunset - Where: Southern tip of the Side peninsula, past the harbour - From the Vespasian Gate: ≈ 15–20 min on foot through the old town - Coordinates: 36.76428, 31.38642 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **2nd century AD** — built under Emperor Antoninus Pius (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Hürriyet Daily News) - **5 columns** — re-erected with their entablature — all that stands today (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Turkish Archaeological News) - **Medusa** — heads carved in the frieze above the columns (source: Russian Wikipedia; Turkish Archaeological News) - **6 × 11** — columns on the short and long sides — a Corinthian peripteral temple (source: Russian Wikipedia; Turkish Archaeological News) - **≈ 16 × 30 m** — the stylobate, or platform, of the temple (source: Russian Wikipedia; Turkish Archaeological News) - **≈ 9 m** — column height including the capitals (source: Russian Wikipedia (8.85 m); Tonkosti) - **1984–1991** — the columns were pieced back together from fallen fragments (source: English Wikipedia (1984–1990); Russian Wikipedia (1991)) - **1947** — Arif Müfid Mansel began excavating the harbour sanctuary (source: Russian Wikipedia; Daily Sabah) - **2 temples** — side by side: Apollo and the larger Athena (source: Russian Wikipedia; Turkish Archaeological News) - **November 2024** — restoration of the neighbouring Temple of Athena finished (source: Milliyet; Hürriyet Daily News) > **Under restoration until 2027** The area is open, the temple itself is not. Restoration began in May 2026: the columns are being strengthened, with scaffolding and a fence around them, so the classic photo at their base isn’t possible. Local press expects the work to finish in 2027. You still see the columns and the Temple of Athena from the waterfront — just from a distance. ## Is the Temple of Apollo free? Yes. There’s no ticket office and no gate: the temples, the Byzantine basilica and the waterfront around them form an open archaeological area in the middle of the resort, accessible **day and night**. You only pay nearby for the [Roman theatre](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-ancient-theatre) and the [Side Museum](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-museum). Because it’s open-air, there is no shade at the tip of the peninsula. On a summer afternoon it’s hot and glaring; evening is far more pleasant, and the columns are floodlit after dark. ## Temple of Apollo history The temple went up in the **2nd century AD**, under Emperor Antoninus Pius, when Side was a wealthy port of Roman Pamphylia. It was a **Corinthian peripteral temple** — ringed by columns, six on the short sides and eleven on the long ones, on a platform of roughly 16 by 30 metres. The columns stand almost nine metres tall. In Byzantine times the pagan sanctuaries were pulled down and their site became the atrium — the forecourt — of a large Christian basilica. Earthquakes did the rest. Arif Müfid Mansel began excavating here in 1947, and between 1984 and 1991 five columns with their entablature and part of the pediment were reassembled from the fragments. That rebuild used concrete bases and steel rods, which later rusted and cracked; salt spray from the sea eats into the marble too. Broken parts were patched in 2017, and the full restoration started in 2026. ## Temples of Apollo and Athena: which is which? Two temples stood side by side at Side’s harbour — an unusually close pairing. Mansel decided the smaller one was Apollo’s and the larger one Athena’s, the city’s protector and patron of harbour trade, and the names stuck. Not everyone agrees. The Medusa heads on the frieze are Athena’s emblem — in the myth, Perseus gave her the Gorgon’s head — so some scholars think the famous columns belong to Athena’s temple. On the ground it makes no difference, but signs and guides don’t always use the same names. The Temple of Athena was restored in November 2024, with columns raised again around its edge. Apollo’s turn came next. ## What to see - The five columns and their frieze against the open sea. - Medusa heads between the frieze brackets — step back to see them. - The Temple of Athena next door, with its perimeter columns re-erected in 2024. - What’s left of the Byzantine basilica whose forecourt once swallowed both temples. - Sunset over the water directly behind the columns. - The floodlighting after dark — best seen from a boat in the bay. ## How to get to the Temple of Apollo 1. Take a dolmuş minibus from Manavgat or the coastal hotels to the Side bus stop and car park by the Vespasian Gate. 2. Walk 5–10 minutes, or ride the little shuttle train, to the Roman theatre where the pedestrian old town begins. 3. From the theatre, follow the main street, Liman Caddesi, down to the sea — about 10 minutes past shops and cafés. 4. At the harbour turn left and walk south along the water to the tip of the peninsula — another 5 minutes. 5. You’ll see the columns long before you reach them. Head back the same way or along the eastern beach promenade. ## Is it worth visiting during the restoration? If you’re already in Side, yes — with the right expectations. It costs nothing, takes 15–20 minutes to walk to, and sunset on the point is lovely even without close access. Don’t make a special trip just for the temple until the work is done; combine it with the [old town](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-old-town), the [harbour](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-harbour) and the theatre instead. If what you want is the classic shot at the foot of the columns, save it for after the scaffolding comes down. ## Best time for sunset photos The sun sets into the sea on this side of the point, so the columns are silhouetted against it. Be on the waterfront just east of the temple 30–40 minutes before sunset — the good spots fill up fast in summer. While the scaffolding is up, wide shots of the whole headland with both temples, a view from a harbour boat trip and the night lighting work better than close-ups. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] I know the temple is scaffolded right now - [ ] Arriving 30–40 minutes before sunset - [ ] Water and a hat — there’s no shade on the point - [ ] Comfortable shoes for stone paving - [ ] Turkish lira cash for the dolmuş back - [ ] I know where the bus stop by the Vespasian Gate is ## Temple of Apollo vs the theatre and museum | | Temple of Apollo | Roman theatre | Side Museum | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Five columns by the sea | Roman theatre | Sculpture in Roman baths | | Entry | Free | Ticket | Ticket | | Hours | 24 hours | Daytime | Daytime | | Time needed | 20–30 min | ≈ 40 min | ≈ 45 min | | Best at | Sunset | Morning | Midday heat | The temple is the free finale of a walk around Side. Do the museum in the heat of the day and the point at sunset. ## 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 - [Temple of Apollo](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-temple-of-apollo) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free - [Side Harbour](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-harbour) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 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 ## Side in half a day: gate to sunset Museum and theatre in the afternoon, old town and harbour towards evening, sunset at the Temple of Apollo to finish. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and walks. 1. [Side Museum](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-museum) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · €5, under 8 free 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 Old Town](https://yesgo.io/turkey/side/side-old-town) — YesGo score 54/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · Free; theatre and museum extra 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 ## Good to know Turkey has several temples of Apollo. The huge one at Didyma, near Bodrum, is a different site altogether. Hotels and bars in Side called “Apollo” have nothing to do with the temple. ## Tips - Get to the waterfront half an hour before sunset — spots with a clear view of the columns go quickly. - In the midday heat, do the Side Museum first; it’s cool inside. Walk to the point in the evening. - The columns look best from the water — boat trips leave from the harbour. - Stay after sunset: the floodlights come on and the crowd thins out. - Dolmuş minibuses run less often in the evening — ask the driver when the last one back leaves. ## Questions ### Is the Temple of Apollo in Side free? Yes. It’s an open-air site with no ticket office. The paid sights nearby are the Roman theatre and the Side Museum. ### Is the Temple of Apollo closed for restoration? The temple itself is: restoration started in May 2026, the columns are scaffolded and you can’t get close. The area around it stays open and you can see the columns from the waterfront. Completion is expected in 2027. ### What are the Temple of Apollo opening hours? It’s open 24 hours, every day — there is no gate. The columns are floodlit in the evening. ### How long do you need at the Temple of Apollo? 20–30 minutes for the temple and the Temple of Athena beside it; about an hour if you stay for sunset. ### How do I get to the Temple of Apollo in Side? Dolmuş to the Side bus stop by the Vespasian Gate, then walk through the old town to the harbour and south along the water — 15–20 minutes in total. ### When was the Temple of Apollo built? In the 2nd century AD, under Emperor Antoninus Pius. The columns standing today were reassembled from fragments between 1984 and 1991. ### What is the difference between the temples of Apollo and Athena? They are neighbouring temples at the harbour; Apollo’s is the smaller. The famous five columns with Medusa on the frieze are called Apollo’s, though some scholars assign them to Athena. ### Is the Temple of Apollo worth visiting? If you’re in Side, yes — it’s free, close and spectacular at sunset. While the scaffolding is up, don’t travel to Side for it alone. ### Is the Temple of Apollo good for kids? Yes for a short stop: it’s a flat, open waterfront area. Watch children near the stone edges and the sea. ## How we checked The temple has no official visitor page — it’s an open site with no ticket office — so entry and hours are marked “verifying” and checked against Turkish Archaeological News and Tonkosti. Restoration: Türkiye Turizm reported the start in May 2026 (a 360-day contract); Antalya Hürses reported in summer 2026 that visitors can’t get close and that completion is expected in May 2027. We found no newer update for autumn. Dates for re-erecting the columns differ — English Wikipedia gives 1984–1990, Russian Wikipedia 1991 — so we show 1984–1991. Some guides date the temple to the 2nd century BC; encyclopedias and the Turkish press give the 2nd century AD, which we use. Sizes for the Temple of Athena differ between sources, so we leave them out. We don’t repeat the story of Cleopatra and Mark Antony meeting here: there is no evidence for it. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Temple of Apollo (Side); Russian Wikipedia: Temple of Apollo in Side; Wikidata Q4500686 - Turkish Archaeological News: Ancient temples and Byzantine basilica in Side - Hürriyet Daily News, 2017: Temple of Apollo restored in Antalya; 2025 — on the Temple of Athena - Milliyet, 17.03.2025 — completion of the Temple of Athena restoration - Daily Sabah — on excavations in the harbour sanctuary - Türkiye Turizm, 03.05.2026: Side Apollon Tapınağı'nda restorasyon başladı - Antalya Hürses, 2026 — progress of the restoration and expected completion - Tonkosti: Temple of Apollo in Side --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.