City Walls description and photos - Turkey: Side (Topic)

City Walls description and photos - Turkey: Side. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is City Walls.

Photo and description

Side, one of the oldest cities in Turkey, dates back to the 7th century BC. The city was a very important port, therefore it was conquered several times. The fact that the city was constantly in danger forced the local residents to build fortress walls that completely surrounded the city both from the land side and from the sea side. The towers and fortress walls, which are located on the land side, have been preserved in good condition, despite the fact that earthquakes are frequent in this area. Unfortunately, the fortifications on the side of the sea were much worse preserved. In ancient times, the gates at the eastern walls were the entrance gates. Immediately behind them and outside the fortress walls were three niches of a monumental spring, a beautiful facade, and in front of it a pool for water.

The walls were erected in the 2nd century BC. They served to defend and protect the city from external enemies, and after numerous battles they had to be completed more than once. That is why they were built from stones of various fragments of the Hellenistic, Byzantine and Roman periods. The walls were equipped with loopholes and turrets to repel attacks. The walls that surround the city, located on the peninsula, together with the inner city walls, stretch for six kilometers. The height of the walls in the north-east of the city is ten meters. The width of the walls by the sea in some parts reaches three meters. Thirteen towers were built on the walls of the city for observation and defense, some of which are semicircular, and the rest are square.

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Topic: City Walls description and photos - Turkey: Side.