In Late Antiquity the city of Side had a much shorter, strategic line of defences built within its original line of Hellenic walls. These new defences incorporated the theatre as part of the defensive line. The triumphal arch attached to the theatre also became part of the defences and the arch's aperture was significantly reduced. The new defences were built primarily of spolia looted from derelict or abandoned buildings in and around the city. The clearest evidence of spolia use in the walls can be seen in the use of column drums usually included to add strength to the walls by tying the two outer faces together. The last image, in the background, behind the building covered in scaffolding (The temple of Tyche), shows the late antique part of the wall in front of the theatre.
Creator
Joshua Bryant
Date of Visit
1st to 14th August 2012
Contributor
Joshua Bryant
Type
Architecture
Tags
Fortifications, Late Antique, Military Architecture, Turkey
Collection
Comparative Graeco-Roman and Late Antique architecture of Western Anatolia
Citation
Joshua Bryant, “Late Antique Walls, Side,” Architecture and Asceticism, accessed April 26, 2024, https://architectureandasceticism.exeter.ac.uk/items/show/253.