Standing Tall
There’s ancient history and activities aplenty in the Turkish region of Antalya, finds Ellie Fazan.
It’s pomegranate season here and piles of the red fruit – some split in half, revealing their treasures – line the roadside. The sky is blue and the sun is high, so I rest in the shade of an ancient amphitheatre in the tiny town of Side (pronounced sea-day), slurping a zingy glass of ruby-red pomegranate juice, freshly squeezed with one flex of the seller’s muscles while his gold tooth flashes in the sun. Side means pomegranate in ancient Greek. The fruit is a symbol of fertility and abundance, which reflects the town’s origin as a wealthy trading port. Situated on the Mediterranean coast in the Antalya region of Turkey, Side straddles a cape with sugar-soft beaches on both sides and an ancient fortified harbour overlooked by the Temple of Apollo.
