Side, whose name means \'pomegranate\' in old Greek in Anatolia is a coastal resort town in the Antalya province, 75 km east of the city of Antalya, Turkey.

Touristic part of Manavgat city is called as Side, where you find ancient ruins and hotel nowadays. Property sales in Side, Turkey is mainly for British and German buyers.

Side was founded by Greek settlers in the 7th century BCE and because of its harbour became one of the most important centers for trade in the region. Side had its own language still undeciphered, which is found on several inscriptions from the 300-200 BC. excavations at Side have also discovered evidence of an even early Neo-Hittite civilization in a basalt column base from the 7th century BCE.

Alexander the Great occupied Side in 333 BCE and brought Hellenistic culture to Side. Following the death of Alexander in 300, Side was ruled by Alexander\'s general Ptolemy I, whose dynasty controlled Side until the 2nd century BCE, when it fell under the Seleucid Empire. Side grew and prospered and became a significant cultural center.

In 190 BCE Side\'s Seleucid King Antiochus waa defeated by a Roman supported fleet from the Rhodes. The Treaty of Apamea (188 BC) required Antiochus to give up territory north of the Taurus Mountains to Pergamum. Around this time the harbor of present-day Antalya was built by Attalus II Philadelphus. In the 1st century BCE, Cilician pirates took over Side\'s harbor and used it as the base for their slave trade until they were defeated by Roman consul Servilius Vatia in 78 BCE.

 In 67 BCE Pompey brought Side under the control of Roman Empire and in 25 BCEEmperor Augustus added Side to the Roman province of Galatia. Side began to prosper as a center of commerce through its in olive oil trade and the population grew to over 60,000.

Most of the ruins excavated at Side date from the first three centuries CE. In the 4th century, invasions began to weaken the city. Despite becoming the seat of the Bishopric of Eastern Pmphylia in the 5th century, its defenses could not withstand the Arab invasions of the 7th century. Earthquakes further destroyed the city, which was largely deserted by the 10th century.

In the 12th century, during the early Byzantine period, Side again flourished briefly as a major city with a sig ificant Jewish population. But subsequent invasions decimated the city, which came to be called Eski Adalia (old Antalya) after its population moved to what is now Antalya City.

The ruins of Side are among the most notable in Asia Minor. The ruins of the theatre complex are the largest of Pamphylia. Built like a Roman amphitheatre, Side\'s theater sat over 15,000. After serving as the site for gladiator fights, the theater was converted into two chapels during the early Byzantine era. Having been the Bishopric of Eastern Pamphylia, it is still a titular see of the Roman Catholic church.

Side has been under excavation by archeologists since 1947 and flourishes today, as a popular holiday destination.