Standing adjacent to the more famous Temple of Apollo at the southern tip of the peninsula, the Temple of Athena is older and more ruinous but part of the same dramatic promontory setting. A few column drums and part of the cella wall survive. At sunset, with both temple ruins together against the sea, the headland is genuinely striking.
Temple of Athena
A story
The Temple of Athena stands directly beside the Temple of Apollo at the peninsula's tip, though it receives far less attention. It was built slightly earlier — probably in the 2nd century BC — and was dedicated to the city's patron goddess. Coins minted in Side featured Athena on one side and pomegranates on the other, and the goddess was central to the city's identity. The two temples shared a single enclosure wall and a commanding position above the sea.