The Side Museum, located in the ancient city of Side in the Manavgat district of Antalya, welcomes visitors in a captivating atmosphere reminiscent of an ancient Roman bath. Opened in 1962, the museum is housed in a reconstructed Roman bath dating back to the 2nd century AD. It contains artifacts from the ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic periods. Shining a light on the rich history of Pamphylia, the museum features sculptures, sarcophagi, inscriptions, coins, and numerous other historical artifacts. For history and archaeology enthusiasts, the Side Museum offers a fascinating journey.
Located in Side, a neighborhood of Manavgat district, one of Antalya's most popular tourist destinations, the Side Museum stands defying the passage of time within the walls of a historic Roman bath. This museum is situated in the Roman bath, which was built in the 2nd century AD and restored to its present form in the 5th and 6th centuries AD. Roman baths are complex structures consisting of large sections with varying temperatures, and the Agora Bath in the ancient city of Side is one of these architectural masterpieces. Restored between 1959 and 1961, this bath opened its doors as a museum in 1962.
Side's history dates back to the 12th century BC and it is located on the eastern coast of Pamphylia, at the foot of the Taurus Mountains. Pamphylia, which expanded during the Roman period to reach Lake Burdur, also included the ancient city of Pisidia within its borders. Throughout history, Side has been under the rule of many civilizations, including the Lydians, Persians, Alexander the Great, the Ptolemies, the Kingdom of Syria, the Kingdom of Pergamon, and the Roman Empire. The city, which became Christian in the 4th century AD, was abandoned in the 7th and 9th centuries due to Arab raids and earthquakes. In the 13th century, it came under the rule of the Seljuks, and in the 14th century, under the Hamitoğulları and Tekelioğulları principalities. Side became part of the Ottoman Empire and, with the proclamation of the Republic, the Republic of Turkey.
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What is exhibited at the Side Museum?
The Side Museum is filled with artifacts unearthed during excavations conducted between 1946 and 1966. These include sculptures, torsos, busts, relief tombs, sarcophagi, gravestones, inscriptions in Greek and the Side language, altars, and various architectural elements. Furthermore, coins from Pamphylia and Pisidia, as well as Side coins, constitute the museum's richest collection.
The museum's second hall, the Sudatorium (Sweat Room), is filled with various objects made of metal, terracotta, glass, and marble from the Ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic periods. Here, perfume containers, tear bottles, spear and arrowheads, crosses, weights, pottery, figurines of gods and goddesses, lamps, jewelry, mirrors, mallets, and seals are displayed. Hall number three, the Caldarium (Hot Room), is furnished with statues, pedestals, a relief ostothek, altars, sarcophagus fragments, and various plaques. The pool area displays amphoras and urns dating from the 5th century BC to the 11th and 12th centuries AD. Hall number four (Tepidarium – Warm Room) is filled with busts, statue heads and fragments, altars, and various sarcophagi. Many other ancient artifacts are also displayed in the museum's other halls and courtyard.
Side Ancient Theatre Brochure (PDF)
The museum welcomes visitors through its eastern gate. After passing through a courtyard, which appears to be the second tepidarium of the baths, one reaches a large garden. This courtyard and garden are the courtyards of the gymnasium and palaestra of the Roman Baths. On the northern wall of the courtyard, a series of friezes depicting mythological stories of the sea god Poseidon is noteworthy.
Side Museum offers its visitors a journey into the depths of the past. One of the museum's most exquisite pieces is the "Three Graces" statue, dating back to the 2nd century AD and symbolizing beauty, grace, and fertility. This statue, featuring figures representing Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena, is one of the museum's most prized objects.
Side Museum Visiting Hours
Side Museum is temporarily closed for renovations as of March 2024.
Side Museum is open to visitors from 08:30 to 19:30 during the summer season (April 1 – October 31) and from 08:30 to 17:30 during the winter season (October 31 – April 1).
Side Museum Entrance Fee
Side Museum is open to visitors every day, and the entrance fee is 350 TL for Turkish citizens. Museum cards are accepted, and there are also options for foreign visitors with a fee of €17.
Directions to Side Museum
The address of Side Museum is Side Mahallesi Liman Caddesi No:2 Manavgat / Antalya. The phone number is 02427531006.
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