Attractions and vacation tricks and tips in Side 2023
Destinations and holiday recommendations in Side Alanya today: Not to be confused with Side’s agora area that neighbors the Roman theater, this imposing complex on the road to Side’s East Beach functioned as the State Agora. On its east side, an originally two-story building is thought to have been used as a library, while in a columned niche, you can still see a figure of Nemesis, the goddess of fate. If you carry on from the agora, heading towards the eastern old town walls, you’ll come to the extensive ruins of the Byzantine bishop’s palace, principal, and baptistery. These early Christian buildings date from between the 5th and 10th centuries AD. The fine remains of the town of Seleucia (also known as Seleukia) were part of ancient Pamphylia. The ruins lie one kilometer above the village of Bucak Seyler, about 15 kilometers north of Side (reached from Side via the Manavgat Waterfalls). The rambling ruins are enclosed within a pine forest, which gives the site a charming lost-in-time ambience. Little is known of this town’s history, and archaeologists still debate its exact identity-some suggest that it is not Seleucia at all but rather the town of Lyrba. Excavations here during the 1970s unearthed a large baths complex; a well-preserved agora with surviving storerooms, colonnades, and shop rows; a Byzantine era church; and an odeon with a mosaic of Orpheus.
While Side is, particularly, popular for its serene bays, there are, definitely, more on the table! Join our Buggy safari and rafting tour, during your holidays in Side, and be part of two adrenaline-boosting activities. Exceptional landscapes, big doses of enthusiasm, laughter, and an opportunity to get away from the crowds, are some of the things you can expect from this tour. This experience begins in the morning, with a pick-up service from your hotel in Side. Our guide will explain to you the details of the schedule, and let you know some interesting information about Köprüçay river and the surrounding area. To join this combo experience you need no prior experience in rafting and buggy driving. In what regards the later, you need no driving licence. Therefore, this excursion is ideal for all, children, and adults.
Lonely Travel is a professional licensed travel agency in Alanya & Side. We organize travel services since 1997. We let our customers to save their time and money also providing them a high quality service. In our Travel Agency employees highly trained specialists that are licensed by the Ministry of Tourism of Turkey. We work 7 days a week to provide the best service to our guests. We organize more than 50 tours around Alanya and Side, each and every single excursion of ours is fully insured and maintained by our professional tour guides. Read extra information on Side Sapadere Canyon Tour.
The Alanya Seljuk Shipyard stands south of the Red Tower. You can easily reach it on foot by following the 300 meter path. The Alanya Seljuk Shipyard was built by the Seljuks in 13th century. If you are into maritime history and medieval buildings, make time to visit the only remaining shipyard in Turkey from the Seljuk Period. The Alanya Seljuk Shipyard (Tersane) has been used for trade and protection purposes throughout history. Today, it stands upright back to back with Red Tower. The Alanya shipyard is the only shipyard that remains from the Seljuk reign, built in the first half of 13th century.
In 1228 the Anatolian Seljuk Sultan Kayqubad I ordered the construction of this remarkable shipyard, facing east across the bay, just south of Kızılkule. In Medieval times Alanya was the Seljuk Empire’s prime shipyard on the Mediterranean, and what remains is in great condition and open to the public for free along a wooden boardwalk. There’s a row of five pointed arches, more than 55 metres long in total, and these vaulted bays go back 44 metres inland. The shipyard was oriented east to get as much sunlight as possible, and is flanked by a mosque and guardroom. Slightly back and posted on the rocks on the south side is a defensive tower once armed with cannons.
Alanya’s emblem is a 13th-century Seljuk defensive tower, getting its name from the red brick that makes up the structure’s upper storey and parapet. The Red Tower has an octagonal footprint and climbs to 33 metres with marble blocks on its lower walls. This rare piece of Medieval defensive architecture was constructed to protect Alanya’s harbour and shipyard, and greeted people’s arrival to the city for many centuries. There’s a cistern inside, still able to collect rainwater, and you can make out the historic siege-repelling murder holes, through which boiling water and pitch would be dropped on helpless invaders. On the first floor is a small ethnographic museum with tools and handicrafts reflecting the Turkmen culture in the Taurus Mountains.
Priene is 40 minutes drive to Kusadasi town. An ionic city which was designed with Hypodamic system. Hypodamic system is the early form of grid plan system that we see in New York and Paris today. The streets were intersecting each other with right angles. In 334 BC Alexander the Great stayed in the city and funded for the construction of Athena Temple. A very steep city today. Travellers who would like to visit this site need to be in good physcial condition. Doganbey village takes approximately 1 hour drive from Kusadasi. Doganbey is a former Greek village located by the ancient Mykale Mountains across the Greek Island of Samos, the birth place of famous mathematician Phytogoras. In 1924 there was an exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey.
Myra is an ancient city located in the Kale (Demre) district in Antalya. It is especially famous for the Lycian Period rock tombs, the Roman Period theater, and the Byzantine Period St. Nicholas (Santa Claus) Church. Saint Nicholas was a bishop in Myra, so the city maintained its reputation throughout the Middle Ages. Kekova is a small rocky island in Kaleköy and Üçağız near the Demre district in Antalya. It’s the largest island in the Turkish Mediterrenean. The Island of Kekova and the Sunken City, are some of the most visited places in the Mediterranean. They are unique historical places both underwater and on land.
The street that starts from the Grand Theater and extends to the harbor is 528 meters long and 11 meters wide. It is described as one of the most spacious roads in the ancient world. Columns adorned both sides of the street, and there were many galleries and shops on both sides. There was also a developed sewage system under this spacious road. Since the end of the street leads to the harbor, it was called “Harbor Street”. Kings, emperors, ambassadors, merchants who came to Ephesus by sea were welcomed on this street with an official ceremony. It is also known as “Arkadiane Street” since it was destroyed in the earthquake in the 4th century and repaired by Emperor Arkadius between 395-408. After the adoption of Christianity, the statue of the four apostles of Christ was placed on the street, and these sculptures, unfortunately, do not exist today. Discover extra information at https://www.sideexcursion.com/.
Alanya is best known for its beaches. The sandy strips in town itself, and strung along the surrounding coast, are all about laid-back resort vacations and are usually packed out by a clientele of northern Europeans from June through August. There’s more to Alanya than its shore though. The high cliff of the peninsula is home to an ancient castle district, all surrounded by well-preserved, sturdy stone walls. Down at the harbor, more historical remnants survive, looming over a bay where yachts sit ready to whisk you out onto the sea.
Tour boat in Alanya Harbor: From around May to October plenty of tour boats depart from Alanya Harbor for day-long trips around the dramatic rocky headland, visiting the sea caves where pirates once hid, along with anchoring off the coast for plenty of swim stops. The main sea caves visited by the boats are Pirate Cave and Damlatas Cave, though depending on the boat, several others can be visited, including Fosforlu Cave and Lovers’ Cave. Trips vary hugely in quality. Some boats are basically dedicated party trips, so make sure to check out the operators before departure and get recommendations from your hotel. In general, the smaller boats are usually a better option if you don’t want an onboard disco. For a shorter trip, opt for a sunset sail around the harbor.
