Turkish Riviera
Temple of Apollo
Two reconstructed marble columns on the headland by Side's old harbour — the photo everyone takes home. Time it for sunset, when the stone glows gold against the sea. It is the single best free thing in town.
Where
Side, Turkey
Opening hours
Open access (always open). The columns sit on a public headland you can reach at any hour; there is no gate or ticket booth. Surrounding cafes and the harbour area keep their own seasonal daytime and evening hours.
Tickets
Free — no ticket needed to walk up to the headland and view the columns. You only spend money if you choose a drink or meal at the nearby harbour-front cafes and restaurants.
Time needed
Twenty to thirty minutes to see and photograph the columns; longer if you stay for sunset.
In short
Visiting Temple of Apollo
The Temple of Apollo stands on the headland beside Side's old harbour: two re-erected marble columns and a fragment of entablature from a Roman temple, framed by the Mediterranean. It is the most photographed sight in town and free to walk up to and view, day or night. Sunset, when the marble turns gold, is the time to go.
The columns by the harbour
On the headland beside Side’s old harbour stand two re-erected marble columns topped by a curved fragment of entablature — the remains of a small Roman Temple of Apollo. They’re modest in scale next to Side’s big theatre and city gates, but they’re the single most photographed sight in town, and for good reason: the white marble framed by the Mediterranean behind it is the image everyone takes home.
The best part is that it costs nothing. There’s no gate or ticket booth; the columns sit on a public headland you can walk up to at any hour, day or night. That makes it the best free thing in Side — a five-minute detour from the pedestrian streets that delivers a genuinely memorable view.
Timing it right
Go at sunset. As the light drops, the marble warms to gold against the sea, and the columns catch it beautifully — it’s the shot to plan your evening around. The flip side is that everyone else has the same idea, so arrive a little early for a clear spot to stand and shoot. If you’d rather have it quiet, early morning is cool, calm and almost empty.
You only need twenty to thirty minutes to see and photograph the columns, but they sit right inside Side’s old town, so it’s easy to fold them into a longer wander. The Roman theatre, agora and city gates are all within a short walk, and the harbour cafes are on your doorstep if you want to settle in for the sunset with a drink.
Footwear-wise, the headland is uneven in places, so steady shoes help — and that’s about the only caveat for somewhere this easy and this free.
Planning the rest of your trip? See the Side city guide.
