Side Underwater Museum welcomes diving and history enthusiasts

Side Underwater Museum which is the first underwater museum of Turkey, welcomes those who are interested in diving and history with its collection of 117 sculptures. Diving tourists are visiting the museum, located 1.5 miles off Side, at depths of 11, 18 and 24 meters, where 117 sculptures describing the riches of the Anatolian civilization are exhibited.

Side Underwater Museum, which was built by the Antalya Branch of the Chamber of Shipping in Manavgat district and opened in 2015, continues to attract attention from domestic and foreign tourists.

Underwater documentary producer and cinematographer Tahsin Ceylan, who viewed the museum, stated that 15-16 million tourists came to Antalya alone every year, and said that the vast majority of them also take sea, sand and sun holidays.

Stating that a serious increase in underwater tourism had been observed in the world after the Covid-19 pandemic, Ceylan stressed that Antalya should also take an important share from this tourism.

Ceylan explained that although the Kaş district of Antalya stood out in underwater tourism, Turkey’s first underwater museum, Side Underwater Museum, located in Manavgat district, had attracted great interest from certified divers.

“SOME OF THE WORKS WERE BATTERED”

He said, during their dive with an underwater photographer, they had viewed 117 sculptures themed on camel caravan, Poseidon, Mevlevis, War of Independence and flower garden at a depth of 11, 18 and 22 meters 1.5 miles off Side and added following:

“I have dived thousands of times in many parts of the world so far. Among them, the Side Underwater Museum has become one of my favorite places with its truly tremendous beauty. The underwater viewing distance is very close to Kas. Each of the 117 sculptures in the museum is of different beauty. However, we saw that some of the works had been battered. The damaged works should be restored to their former state as soon as possible.”