Side Underwater Museum

Located in Antalya’s Manavgat district, the Side Underwater Museum features 117 sculptures depicting Anatolian civilization themes, accessible to certified divers.

Planning your visit

The Side Underwater Museum lies off the Manavgat coast in Antalya province, with 117 sculptures placed on the seabed at depths accessible to divers. The subject matter is Anatolian: figures and scenes drawn from the civilisations that occupied the peninsula — Hittite, Lycian, Greek, Roman, Seljuk and Ottoman — arranged as an underwater narrative of the region's history, alongside representations of local life and mythology.

Like other underwater sculpture parks, it serves a dual purpose: an artificial reef that encourages marine growth, and a diving attraction that draws pressure away from natural reef sites.

Access requires diving. Depths vary across the installation, and while some sculptures sit relatively shallow, this is not a snorkelling site in the way the Cancún installation is — most visits are made by certified divers, with introductory dives available for beginners under instruction.

Side itself is a resort town built among substantial Roman ruins, including a theatre and the temple of Apollo on the point.

Bookable options are diving tours to the museum, in beginner and certified formats. Sea conditions govern availability. Current departures are shown below.