Side Fest

So as it happened, October 29th was also the last day of the 10th International Festival of Culture and Arts in Side, the closing gala concert, the Antalya State Opera and Ballet Symphony and Chorus, celebrating Republic Day, all occurring in the ancient amphitheatre. We went early, at 8:30PM, walking just a few hundred meters from our campground, stood in line with a couple thousand others, and then got to see, free and open to the public, the interior of the great amphitheatre as well as hear a fine concert.

Vespasian monument adjoining the theatre

Part of the exterior of the theatre (2nd century)

Nice banner



Festival director addresses the throng

Interesting theatre; seated 12,000 (I think), could be flooded

for naval battles; the lower 29 rows are built into the hill; the

upper 29 were built atop giant stone vaults (pix later), sort

of like the upper deck of a contemporary stadium

Playin'; the program was largely Verdi ("meretricious glitter,"

"merely an excuse for social gathering"), but its latter half

featured some Turkish music; we particularly enjoyed the

"Köçekçe, dance rhapsody for orchestra," by Umi Erkin.