A new travel route is being created in Ancient Side

A travel route is being created in Side, where ancient and modern life are intertwined

Side, one of the important tourism centers, hosts many local and foreign tourists with its historical ruins, sea, beaches and hotels. Side, which is the most important port city of Pamphylia in the form of a peninsula, attracts attention with its historical past. With the excavations started in 1947, it was determined that Side was used as an uninterrupted settlement between the 7th century BC and the 7th century AD, and life continues as a neighborhood today.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism started a feverish work to create a travel route in November last year, in order to open the artifacts unearthed from the excavations in the region where daily life takes place and to preserve the traces of the past. While excavations continue in the region, conservation and restoration activities are carried out.

Illegal structures are demolished and the artifacts under them are brought to light

Anadolu University Faculty of Literature, Archeology Department lecturer and Side Ancient City Excavation Head Prof Dr Feriştah Alanyalı told Anadolu Agency (AA) that excavations have been carried out in Side, which is known as a commercial and port city, for 76 years.

Explaining that the protection process in the form of first and third degree urban and third degree protected areas has been started in the city since 2014, Alanyalı stated that citizens live intensively in the urban and third degree protected area between the theater and the port. Expressing that most of the excavation areas are privately owned, Alanyalı said:

"Private property was full of illegal structures, these structures were demolished. We are carrying out excavations in these plots with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the plot owners. We carry out systematic excavations, then we carry out conservation and restoration works. Afterwards, the owner of the parcel has the right to reconstruct as stipulated in the conservation plan. There is really an urban archeology being carried out here. After the illegal structures were demolished, the works that came out from under them are exhibited, while in the first years they were mostly exhibited under the glass space, in recent years, if technical conditions allow, an arrangement has been made in such a way that they can be visited inside these ancient structures. While modern life continues on one side, the remains unearthed in the same parcel can be watched by visitors. I think this was a good example for the ancient cities located in Side."

Expressing that the ancient city was spread over a very wide area, Alanyalı stated that the excavation works in the urban and third degree archaeological site area approached 150 parcels.

Prof. Dr. Alanyalı emphasized that the excavations in the city made a great contribution to the scientific world. Noting that they were able to draw up a comprehensive city plan for the Ancient City of Side, Alanyalı said, "Our research in recent years has shown that there was an uninterrupted settlement between the 7th century BC and the 7th century BC. This is extremely important for the scientific world."

Expressing that very important structures belonging to the city were unearthed during the excavations carried out on private property, Alanyalı said that a port agora, which they were not aware of, and a customs building were unearthed.

In addition, Alanyalı stated that they have identified structures such as the temples of Serapis and Aphrodite, the Synagogue and many residences, and various inscriptions, where the 1400-year urbanization process can be followed.

Ancient and modern city intertwined in Side

Underlining that Side is an important tourism city, Alanyalı continued his words as follows:

"Side is an ancient city that receives many local and foreign visitors, and it is also a modern settlement. As such, we have been carrying out intensive work since November under the auspices of our Minister, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy. In order to explain the city to the visitors, to enable them to spend more time in the city, and to show that this is not just a modern city, but that the ancient city and modern life continue together, we mainly started conservation and restoration works. I think this was also a turning point in the history of Side research. Since November, we have been carrying out many projects together with archaeologists, architects, restorers, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. We plan to complete the projects to a large extent by May."

Alanyalı noted that at the end of this project, they will start the restoration of the three-storey monumental fountain.

Stating that they will bring the main streets, which attract great attention of tourists, to a shape that can be visited comfortably, Alanyalı said, "It is very important to create a visitor itinerary in the region. We are doing the maintenance and repairs of the monuments on the sightseeing route."

Stating that the restorations of the monumental fountain, the Temple of Athena and the Bath-gymnasium Complex are continuing within the scope of the works, Alanyalı stated that they plan to open this area as soon as possible by organizing a sightseeing route.

Stating that visitors can visit ancient ruins and watch excavations in a modern city in Side, Alanyalı said, "Side is a special city in this respect. In a city where tourism is very intense, it brings other responsibilities to archaeologists. Our most important works are scientific studies, but we also need to make arrangements to share the scientific results we have determined with the visitors who come here. Since November, we have been carrying out an intensive work under the auspices of our minister."