One of the symbolic images of Turkish tourism, the Athena Temple, located next to the famous Apollon Temple in Antalya, is being restored after centuries. The restoration efforts, which began last year, have brought back to life the ancient columns of the Athena Temple, with 20 of them now standing once again.
The Temple of Apollo is among Türkiye's most iconic promotional visuals and one of the world's top tourist destinations. Recent excavation and restoration efforts in Side, a historically significant port city dating back to the seventh century B.C. in the Pamphylia region, have focused on reviving the temples.
Led by the Antalya Directorate of Surveying and Monuments, the project has restored numerous columns of the Athena Temple to their former glory.
Veysel Akın, director of the Surveying and Monuments Directorate, shared details on the ongoing work: "At the start of the restoration in 2023, only one column was standing and even that lacked a capital. Today, 20 columns have been restored, with four specifically on the northeast section, the capitals and architectural elements have been reinstated, and the columns were reinforced with steel rings for structural stability," he explained.
Akın emphasized that the architectural elements had been verified as belonging to the Athena Temple and incorporated into the approved restoration plan. "We are raising the original columns that were identified as part of the temple, authentic marble steps were discovered on the eastern façade during the excavation, and missing parts were filled in using marble dust and mortar. We aim to complete the restoration shortly and illuminate the temple as part of the ministry’s "Heritage for the Future" project, making it a highlight of night-time museum tours."
Professor Feriştah Alanyalı, head of excavations at the ancient city of Side, noted that the area around the Apollo and Athena temples, known as the "Harbor Sacred Area," contains more than just the two temples. "Recent research has shown that this area includes additional sacred spaces beyond the temples. Thus, we now refer to it as the 'Temples Area' or the 'Harbor Sacred Area.' The first excavations here began in 1947, and the recent restoration work, with significant support from the ministry, has made it one of the most critical projects within the 'Heritage for the Future' initiative."
Alanyalı stated that while the Athena Temple’s restoration is nearing completion, preparations for the Apollo Temple’s restoration are also underway. "The area’s restoration and conservation efforts began in the basilica and surrounding areas in 2009-2010; however, no work had been done on the Athena Temple until 2023. Now, significant progress has been made quickly, with careful and detailed efforts."
All the columns used in the restoration are original, historical pieces; according to Dr. Alanyalı, "Many of the temple’s parts were lost over time, especially during the late 19th century, when locals used stones from the site for lime production. While we don’t have all the original pieces, the restoration of the Athena Temple focuses on using as many authentic elements as possible."
The Apollo and Athena temples are major tourist attractions on the Side. "As you know, the image of the Apollo Temple is one of the most used visuals in Türkiye's tourism promotion. It is one of the first places visitors want to see when they come to Side, attracting crowds at all times of the day. The restoration projects, which received significant support in 2023, are a source of pride not only for us but for the visitors as well," added Alanyalı.
The restoration of the Athena Temple is expected to be completed soon, with plans to illuminate the site and open it to visitors under the "Heritage for the Future" project.
