In the south of the Side peninsula, in a picturesque area right by the sea, two temples were once built. One of them, the eastern one, was the temple of the worship of Apollo and the western one was dedicated to Artemis. These gods were considered to be the chief gods of the city. Apollo personified the Sun, and his twin sister Artemis the Moon.
In Greek mythology, Apollo was a well-built golden-haired young man. He always carried a silver bow and golden arrows. He was the patron of sciences and arts, roads, travellers and seafarers, a healer god, leader and patron of the Muses, Apollo was considered a predictor of the future. In addition he was also able to purify people who had committed murder.
The base of the temple to Apollo, the god of light, beauty and art, is a rectangle with a length and width of 30 and 17 metres respectively. At the temple there were formerly six rows with columns, eleven in each row. The height of the columns reached 8.9 metres, and the parapets were made in the Corinthian style. Unfortunately, only a few of the columns have survived today, but they were restored and reinstalled.
The Temple of Apollo was built of white marble in the second century BC. В it still attracts tourists from all corners of the globe with its grandeur and beauty. It is especially interesting for professional photographers, who want to capture the marble columns. Experienced tourists recommend to see Apollo's temple at sunset, when the gentle rays of the sun play on its old stones. At night, the temple is elegantly illuminated by illumination. According to legend, the Temple of Apollo symbolised the love of the great Roman general Antony for the Egyptian queen and beauty Cleopatra.
