A Forgotten City Waiting in the Forest
Roughly 15 to 20 kilometres north of bustling Side, in the cool, pine-clad hills near the village of Bucakşeyhler, lies one of Turkey's most atmospheric and least-visited ruins: Seleukeia (Lyrbe) Ancient City. Founded in the 3rd century BCE and layered with Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine history, this hilltop city was largely forgotten until it was rediscovered in the 1970s. Today it offers something the famous coastal sites cannot: silence, shade and the genuine thrill of exploring a place where the forest still has the upper hand.
Wandering Through the Ruins
You reach the city on a forest path, and the trees part to reveal an extraordinary scene. Stone walls, fallen columns and standing facades emerge from the undergrowth, scattered across a broad plateau overlooking the Manavgat plain. The site rewards slow, curious exploration rather than a quick tick-list visit.
The Famous Agora
The crown jewel is the agora, widely regarded as one of the best-preserved in the entire Pamphylia region. Its colonnaded square and surrounding two-storey buildings give a vivid sense of how a provincial city once lived, traded and gathered.
A City Built to Endure
Beyond the agora you'll find cisterns carved to capture precious rainwater, the remains of baths, monumental gates, and a quiet necropolis of rock-cut and built tombs on the city's edges.
Highlights to Look For
- The agora: a remarkably intact marketplace, the showpiece of the site and a Pamphylian treasure.
- Colonnaded buildings: standing facades and pillars that hint at the city's former grandeur.
- Ancient cisterns: ingenious water-storage chambers carved into the bedrock.
- Roman baths: evocative ruins where townsfolk once bathed and socialised.
- The necropolis: peaceful, scattered tombs framed by pine and birdsong.
- Forest setting: sweeping views toward the Taurus Mountains and the distant Mediterranean.
Pro tip: Wear sturdy shoes and bring water and a hat. The site is unpaved, uneven and shaded by forest, so morning or late-afternoon light is ideal for photos and for spotting carvings hidden among the trees.
Getting There and Planning Your Visit
Seleukeia (Lyrbe) sits in the hills above Side and Manavgat, around 75 kilometres east of Antalya Airport. The final stretch follows a forest road, so it pairs perfectly with a half-day exploring inland Manavgat. Bring snacks, as facilities on-site are minimal, and allow an hour or two to wander at your own pace. Because it draws so few visitors, you may well have whole sections of the ancient city entirely to yourself.
Discover It with Seven Tours
If you'd rather skip the navigation and travel with an expert who can bring these stones to life, browse the Side and Manavgat excursions in our collection. Seven Tours can help you combine Seleukeia (Lyrbe) with other hidden gems of ancient Pamphylia for a day of unforgettable, crowd-free discovery.
