ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE STRUCTURES OF ANATOLIAN GEOGRAPHY

SIDE THEATRE

THE MOST PRECIOUS OF SIDE ANCIENT CITY

If you asked "Which is the most precious jewel among the treasures of the ancient city of Side?", our answer would be the ancient theater in the center. With its unique architecture, it is considered the only example in Anatolia.

HELLENISTIC TRADITION MEETS WITH ROMAN ARCHITECTURE

Antalya Side Theatre is located in the narrow part of the peninsula where the city is located. The building features the form of a semicircular building of the Hellenistic tradition in terms of plan, but it has Roman architecture in terms of construction techniques.

The theatre’s stage building (Scaenae Frons) consists of three floors. The part of cavea (seating rows) up to the diazoma (a passage in the auditorium) leans against a hillside and the upper part of the vaults and tropezoid (inclined) vaults were placed on this inclined platform. Side Ancient Theatre is one of the most unique buildings in this region with its rare features.

Side Antique Theatre, which was seen as Baroque in the Antonine period, bears the traces of its architecture that started with Pompeius Theatre in Rome. Dionysus Frieze is on the podium of the first floor. On the Frieze, the life of Dionysos, the wine god in and the ruler of the theater, is told chronologically from the West to the East and ends with Gigantomakhia on the East end.

WHILE YOU ARE HERE

Don’t miss the temples especially of Apollon and Athena. If possible try to do it during the sunset. While being fascinated by the most romantic Mediterranean view, don’t forget to raise your head to look up the Medussa embossed on the temple.