South coast (Eastern Mediterranean)
Nearest town: Selimiye (pop. 4,000)
Situation and Importance
The remains of the once important Hellenistic city of Side lie about half-way between Antalya and Alanya on a rocky peninsula in the Gulf of Antalya. The peninsula reaches its highest point a little way
inland at the bare limestone crag of Ak Dagi, while on either side of this point, lines of hotels overlook the broad and long sandy beaches of the gulf. In the heart of the ancient city, now much overgrown and covered by drifting sand, lies the charming little fishing village of Selimiye which has developed into a busy holiday resort. Many of the inhabitants are the descendants of Cretans who settled here about 1900. The little town amid the ruins has grown into one of the most important resorts on the Turkish Riviera and boasts numerous hotels and clubs as well as splendid beaches including the Sorgun Plaji.
History
There was already a settlement on the Side peninsula by 1000 B.C. In the seventh or sixth century B.C. Greek settlers from the city of Kyme on the west coast of Asia Minor established a colony here and built a harbor. After a period when it was a pirates' lair and a slave market Side developed in Roman times into an important and prosperous commercial center. As at Perge and other ancient coastal cities, coastal currents gradually caused the harbor to silt up. This, combined with the collapse of Roman rule led to the decay of the city and it was finally abandoned between the seventh and ninth centuries.
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