The Basilica and Bishop's Palace of Side is one of the most interesting and famous sights in the country. This striking example of Byzantine architecture is located near the Eastern Gate of the city, at the intersection of two streets - the Column Street originating from the Main City Gate and the street coming from the Eastern Gate of Side. The entrance to the structure is located on the eastern side.
The Bishop's Basilica is considered one of the oldest structures that have survived in Turkey to this day. The approximate date of the beginning of its construction is the 6th century BC. Both the basilica and the palace have their own special geometric proportions.
The complex consists of many rooms. At the centre of the basilica is a square drawing room, which consists of three small compartments. After the narthex (a covered room between the entrance and the middle at the front wall of the temple), the basilica is divided into three naves with two slender rows of columns. The altar faces east. From the inside it looks round, and externally it has a triangular shape. The altar room formerly contained three-stage seating for the basilica's servants.
The four-cornered baptismal structure is located to the north of the altar room, and is accessed by a rather narrow corridor. The baptismal room has three compartments, and its walls are decorated with semi-circular and quadrangular stone niches. In the middle of the room is a marble baptismal basin with three steps leading to the west. In the northern and southern parts of the baptismal room were built two semicircular basins, inferior in size to the baptismal one. The ceiling of the basilica was a set of brick belts.
To the south of the basilica is the bishop's palace, it consists of parallel rooms of different shapes. Between these two structures is the martrion (shrine room), at the west end of which is the entrance to the palace. Corridors covered with elegant stone arches connect the rooms of the palace. The bishop's room has a quadrangular shape and is divided into three parts. The roof vaults of the palace vary in size, which looks very beautiful from the outside. Not far from the palace there is also a small chapel of the bishop.
Once this entire architectural complex was surrounded by high walls and was located in a beautiful garden. Its area covers about 9,700 square metres. The basilica and the palace were planned and partially built during the period when Side was chosen as the bishop's residence, but it was not until several centuries later that they took their final form.
Unfortunately, today the basilica is in a dilapidated state, but despite this, the original Turkish architecture, skilfully complemented by Byzantine motifs, attracts a large number of connoisseurs of the historical features of the culture of ancient Turkey to this complex.
