SİDE-ΣIΔΗ-PROMEGRANATE

The word "Side" means "pomegranate." Side is a settlement surrounded by legends and featured in mythology. The most famous and widely told legend refers to the meaning of the city’s name.

According to the legend, one day the beautiful young girl Side takes her little daughter with her and goes to the bank of the Melas River. There, they play with the nymphs (water fairies), sing songs, and make garlands from flowers. Side dances with the water fairies, gathering flowers, and delicately breaks a branch from a tree with beautiful blossoms. However, as soon as she breaks the branch, blood begins to drip from the tree. Side becomes very sad and frightened because the tree is, in fact, a water fairy who transformed herself into a tree to protect herself. At that moment, Side tries to escape but realizes that she cannot move, her feet rooted into the ground. From then on, she is unable to leave. Over time, her body starts to form bark, and she transforms into a pomegranate tree. Weeping, Side says, “From now on, I will be a tree that bears blood-red fruit. I will be a symbol of abundance and life. Bring my daughter to me often so she can play in my shade. But tell her, never to pluck another flower or harm the trees.” And so, this is the story of how Side transformed into a pomegranate tree.