Side, modern Selimiye, principal city and port of ancient Pamphylia, originally situated on the Mediterranean coast west of the mouth of the Manavgat River, in southwestern Turkey. (The site is now inland.) Though the city was founded by Aeolian Greeks, a peculiar non-Greek language was spoken there. Having a good natural harbor and two artificial harbors for larger vessels, it was the most important port in Pamphylia. Alexander the Great occupied the city (333 BCE), and the Rhodian fleet defeated that of the Seleucid king Antiochus III there (190 BCE). In the 1st century BCE Cilician pirates made Side their chief slave market. The great ruins—excavated by the Turks from 1947 to 1966—cover a large, walled promontory; one of the most prominent remains is a colossal theatre, built upon arches and considered one of the finest in Anatolia.
Kursunlu Waterfalls
The dense of forest area was made into a Natural Park in 1991, and the rich plant life combined with interesting water and rock formations at Kursunlu Waterfall has created a unique natural landscape.
The cluster pine is the dominant tree species in the area, with small groups of eastern planes, laurel, carob, wild olive, mastic, willow, fig, myrtle, oleander, blackberry, wild rose, tamarisk, spruce, kermes oak, thyme, wild mint, beech tree, bracken and ivy. On the water, there are clusters of water mint, bamboo, water chandelier, and green water lily.
Animals like wild boar, fox, rabbit, squirrel, bat, hoopoe, woodpecker, stock dove, carp, water tortoise, snake and lizard are live in the Natural Park.
Trekking and walking is popular in the park, and there are places serving food and drinks.
