Temple of Apollo (Side) explained

Temple of Apollo
Map Type:Turkey
Coordinates:36.7643°N 31.3866°W
Location:Side, Turkey
Deity:Apollo
Region:Roman Caria

The Temple of Apollo is a Roman temple built around 150 A.D. during the Pax Romana era in the ancient Carian town of Side, in southern Turkey on the Mediterranean Sea coast and dedicated to Apollo, the Greek and Roman god of music, harmony and light.

The Temple of Apollo dates back to the time of Roman emperor Antoninus Pius .

Between 1984 and 1990, the five columns, which remained standing side by side over centuries, and the capitals were restored. As the concrete base carrying the columns started to wear down, and the iron bars inside the columns came to the surface effected by weather conditions, restoration works were carried out in 2017. The broken parts of the columns were repaired with same material used during the restoration in the 1980s.

The Temple of Apollo is a notable tourist attraction in Antalya Province.

Recent events

In May 2022,[1] a night club named "Apollo" was opened nearby the archaeological site of the adjacent Temple of Athena, using historical remains as its entrance gate. The club started operating despite the complaints and warnings of archaeologists that lighting and loud noise would cause damage to the ongoing excavation works and pose a catastrophic effect for the surrounding monuments.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Athena'ya ihanet! Side antik kentine bar açtılar .