Restored Athena Temple emerges as key landmark in Side Ancient City
ANTALYA
Once overshadowed by its neighboring Temple of Apollo, the Athena Temple in the ancient city of Side, located in the southern province of Antalya, has now reclaimed its rightful place as a major historical and cultural attraction.
With restoration efforts completed last year, the temple — overlooking the ancient harbor — is once again open to visitors, drawing increased interest from both local and international tourists eager to witness its grandeur.
For years, many who visited Side’s ancient ruins overlooked the Athena Temple, often mistakenly assuming the area to belong solely to the more prominent Apollo Temple. However, with its restored columns standing tall once more, the Athena Temple now offers visitors a deeper appreciation of its religious and architectural significance.
The temple dedicated to Athena, the chief goddess of the city, is positioned at the entrance of the ancient harbor, adjacent to the Temple of Apollo, forming part of a significant religious complex that underscored the city’s devotion to its patron deities.
The Culture and Tourism Ministry led an extensive restoration effort to revive the temple’s presence. Completed in November last year, the project included the reassembly of several original columns, carefully reintegrating them into the site.
With its revived structure and historical significance now more apparent, the Athena Temple has quickly become a focal point for visitors.
Professor Feriştah Alanyalı, head of Side Ancient City excavations, noted that while previous restoration efforts had been slow, the renewed focus since 2022, with a push by the ministry’s “Heritage for the Future” project initiated in 2023, allowed for extensive structural research and partial anastylosis, bringing the site back to life.
“In recent years, our work had stalled, but since 2022, we prioritized structural research and carried out partial anastylosis. Excavation in the temple’s northern area, which included privately owned parcels, yielded crucial data not only for restoration but also for understanding Side’s architectural evolution,” she explained.
Alanyalı also emphasized the temple’s strategic location by the harbor, stating, “The positioning of Apollo and Athena’s temples side by side is remarkable. These were dedicated to Side’s most revered deities and served as a major cultural and religious center known beyond the city’s borders. Athena, as a guarantor of maritime trade, maintained her presence at the horbor throughout antiquity.”
Following the successful restoration of the Athena Temple, efforts have now shifted to the Apollo Temple. A new restoration project has been prepared and is expected to commence later this year or in 2026.
