Side

Located 65 km east of Antalya, Side was once a small traditional Turkish Mediterranean village with a fine, sandy beach on either side of the town and some wonderful Hellenistic and Roman ruins. Legend even had it that Cleopatra and Mark Anthony had chosen Side as the spot for a romantic meeting. Unfortunately, the world soon wised up to Side’s potential. Nowadays, you’ll see a main street lined up with shops selling jewelry, carpets and leather jackets. The heart of Side has become a shopping center for the belt of hotels stretching on either side of the peninsula. Still, first impressions may be deceptive. Dip into the side streets and you will find the small family-run pensions that Alanya has so completely lost.

Traditional village life continues in the midst of all the hotels and shops and Side’s marvelous beaches. What’s more, in Side you will never be far from a meal or a drink. Possessing a good harbor, Side's natural geography made Side one of the most important trade centers in its time. Many of Side’s great buildings were raised with the profits of piracy and slavery that flourished under the Greeks, only to be stopped when the town came under Roman control. After that Side managed to prosper from legitimate commerce: under the Byzantines it was still large enough to rate a bishop. The 7-th century Arab invasion diminished the town, which was dead within two centuries. During the late 19th century it had another brief flowering under the Ottomans when it was settled by Muslims from Crete.