These days, the
main attraction of Side seems to be centered on what is called the Monumental
Nymphaeum, opposite the main city gate.
This fountain
belongs to the 2nd century AD when Side prospered and its
Roman occupants did not shy away from making a statement. The richly decorated construction
was three stories high and adorned with many statues, which have been moved to
the local Museum. The three niches on the lower floor above the water basin are
still standing, but otherwise, the Nymphaeum has been heavily reconstructed.
Originally, the water would have cascaded down through the slots in the façade,
not unlike what we can see in Sagalassos (see: Sagalassos
in Alexander’s campaign).
The Roman
architects built an aqueduct to supply the water for the Nymphaeum. It also fed
the public baths, fountains, and cisterns, whereas the wealthiest citizens had
running water and a sewer in their homes.
The water came
from the Manavgat
River, whose waterfalls
are another modern tourist attraction. The source of the river was in the Taurus Mountains, some 40 kilometers from
the city center of Side. The renovation of the aqueduct in the early 3rd
century AD was financed by Side’s benefactor Lollianods Bryonianos and his wife Quirina Patra. Today, sections of the
aqueduct are still visible in the landscape. Also in an opening in the city
walls pipes and water channels made of marble, terracotta, and lead can be seen.
[My own picture taken in 2009]
The above is
proof, if needed, that it is not enough to visit a site just once. New
excavations are carried out, even intermittently. I realize that my last post
on Side was written ten years ago with Alexander
as the focal point (see: Side
didn’t put up any resistance to Alexander). It happened after my
more in-depth exploration done earlier, in 2009.
The more recent
exploration and excavations focusing on the Roman aqueduct and the monumental
Nymphaeum triggered the present update.
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