Temple of Apollo in Side

The Temple of Apollo in Side stands beside the Mediterranean as a reminder of the Roman city’s prosperity. Built in the 2nd century under Antoninus Pius, it followed the Corinthian order, with six façade columns, eleven along each side, fluting, acanthus decoration and reliefs of Medusa. An earthquake destroyed it in the 10th century, and Byzantine builders reused part of its stone in a basilica. In 1991 archaeologists re-erected five columns, an entablature and part of the pediment. The ruins are state protected, free to visit and accessible at any time.

Legend makes the temple a meeting place for Cleopatra and Mark Antony. Some scholars have suggested that it may actually have honoured Athena rather than Apollo, since Medusa’s head—shown on the surviving frieze—was traditionally carried on Athena’s aegis.