REGION

ANTALYA SIDE TURKEY HISTORY
Side, ancient Pamphylia's largest port, is situated on a small peninsula extending north-south into the sea. Strabo and Arrianos both record that Side was settled from Kyme, city in Aeolia, a region of western Anatolia. Most probably, this colonization occurred in the seventh century B.C. According to Arrianos, when settlers from Kyme came to Side, they could not understand the dialect.



After a short while, the influence of this indigenous tongue was so great that the newcomers forgot their native Greek and started using the language of Side. Excavations have revealed several inscriptions written in this language. The inscriptions, dating from the third and second centuries B.C., remain undeciphered, but testify that the local language was still use several centuries after colonization. Another object found in Side excavations, a basalt column base from the seventh century B.C. and attributable to the Neo Hittites, provides other evidence of the site's early history. The word "side" is Anatolian in origin and means pomegranate. Next to no information exists concerning Side under Lydian and Persian sovereignty. Nevertheless, the fact that Side minted its own coins during the fifth century B.C. while under Persian dominion, shows that it still possessed a great measure of independence. In 333 A.D., despite its strong land and sea walls, Side surrendered to Alexander the Great without a fight.



How big is Turkey?
Turkey has a total surface area of 774.815 km². It covers 26% forests, 36% agricultural land and 11% grassland. The total coastline measures 7200 kilometres! The longest distance from north to south is 660 km; the longest distance from west to east is 1570 km.

What is Turkey’s population?
At the moment the total population is 65.5 million people. That means 85 people per square kilometre. Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey with a population of 7.7 million people. The capital of Turkey, Ankara, has 2.8 million people, the seaport Izmir is the second largest city with 2 million people.

What is Turkey’s climate?
Turkey is divided into seven official regions: Marmara, Aegean, Mediterranean, Central Anatolia, South East Anatolia, East Anatolia and the Black Sea. These seven regions are very different in climate and vegetation. Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean region: typical Mediterranean climate with warm summers and mild winters. Swimming season: Marmara Sea and the northern part of the Aegean Sea from June until September, the southern part of the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea area from mid-April until the end of October. Black Sea region: subtropical climate. This coastline with its very beautiful landscapes has heavy rainfall. Swimming season: June and July. Middle Anatolia: typical continental climate with cold winters and warm dry summers. Summer evenings are usually chilly. South East Anatolia: mild, rainy winters, warm and dry summers. East Anatolia: short and mild summers, cold winters with heavy snowfalls.

Which religion does Turkey have?
99% of the Turkish population is Islamic. The other 1% is divided into Orthodox, Jewish, Catholic, Protestant and other Christian religions. Every citizen has freedom of religion and is not obliged to take part in any religious ritual. No one can be forced to disclose his or her religion and no one can be discriminated against on the basis of his or her religion.

What are the most important telephone numbers, besides police, ambulance and fire?
Distributors of gas bottles and drinking water bottles, hospitals, vet etc.

Which are the most important telephone numbers?
Police: 155 Alarm number: 112 Enquiries: 118 Fire: 110