Images in this photo gallery are from the city of Side, situated in the province of Antalya on the southern Mediterranean coast of Turkey.
The ancient city of Side was founded in 7th century BC by Ionian Greek colonists from Cyme in Aeolis near Smyrna, modern day Izmir. It became the largest and richest port in the ancient region of Pamphylia and even minted its own coins. Its prosperity, based on its costal location and commercial trading including slave trading made it an...
more »Images in this photo gallery are from the city of Side, situated in the province of Antalya on the southern Mediterranean coast of Turkey.
The ancient city of Side was founded in 7th century BC by Ionian Greek colonists from Cyme in Aeolis near Smyrna, modern day Izmir. It became the largest and richest port in the ancient region of Pamphylia and even minted its own coins. Its prosperity, based on its costal location and commercial trading including slave trading made it an attractive target for piracy and through the centuries it was under the control of the Lydian's and Persians and then Alexander the Great. The city became part of the Roman Empire in the 1st century BC and enjoyed exceptional affluence and strategic importance in particular suppling Roman campaigns in Asia. It continued to prosper during Byzantine times; however the city was eventually abandoned by the 7th century AD due to Arab raids and most of the inhabitants resettled in Antalya.
Modern Side was settled during the 1920's by Greek Muslim fishermen from the island of Crete who were part of the exchange of populations between the Greeks and Turks.
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