Ancient City · Greek · Turkey
Selge
Selge is a ruined Pisidian city high in the Taurus Mountains above the Koprulu Canyon, about 60 km inland from Manavgat in southern Turkey. Its Roman theatre, cut into the hillside below the village of Altinkaya, is one of the best preserved in the region, and the walk around the ruins takes in temples, a stadium and wide mountain views.
Photo: Klaus-Peter Simon, CC BY 3.0
Selge tickets: which one for you
Our pick for each kind of visit, with live dates and prices from GetYourGuide. Free cancellation on most.
Best for: First visit from Side
A full day by minibus with a guide, the canyon viewpoint and time in the theatre, so you avoid the narrow mountain road yourself.
- From Manavgat, scenery first: Tazi canyon avatar lands and selge ancient city tour Combines the ruins with the canyon lookouts and rock formations on the drive up, with transport and lunch, for travellers more interested in landscape than archaeology.
- Active travellers from Antalya: Antalya tazi selge canyon rafting adventure Adds a rafting run on the Koprucay river to the visit, a good choice for those who want an energetic day rather than a long guided walk.
Tickets and tours: all the options
Selge itself is not a ticketed site. The ruins lie among the houses and fields of the village of Altinkaya, inside the Koprulu Canyon National Park, and you walk around them freely. Village women often meet visitors at the theatre and offer to guide them for a tip or sell scarves; this is friendly and optional.
What is sold online is transport and an organised day out. Almost all tours start from the resorts of Side, Manavgat, Alanya or Antalya and pick up from hotels. The usual format is a minibus or jeep safari that stops at a viewpoint over the Tazi Canyon, the Roman bridge over the Koprucay, the rock pillars near the village and the theatre at Selge, with lunch at a trout restaurant by the river. Some trips add rafting on the Koprucay, and some offer Selge as an option instead of rafting. Time at the ruins is often only 45 minutes to an hour, and guides vary from expert to driver.
If you have a car and are confident on mountain roads, driving yourself gives you time to walk the whole site and the acropolis hill. Otherwise a full-day tour from Side or Manavgat is the practical choice: check that the description names Selge as a fixed stop rather than an option, and that lunch is included.
What to see at Selge
Theatre
The theatre sits on the southern edge of the village, its seating cut into a natural slope and facing the limestone peaks. It held perhaps ten thousand people and was rebuilt in the 3rd century AD. The upper rows and the vaulted side passages survive well, while the stage building lies collapsed in front. Climb to the top row for the view.
Stadium and agora
Just below the theatre, a long hollow in the fields marks the stadium, with a few rows of seats still visible along one side. A short walk north-west leads up to the agora, a paved terrace with column bases and fallen blocks. From here you can trace the line of the main street linking the public buildings of the city.
9 tickets and tours for Selge
Live dates and prices from GetYourGuide. Free cancellation on most tickets.
Kesbedion acropolis
The low hill west of the agora was the acropolis, called Kesbedion in ancient sources. It held the main temples of the city, probably for Zeus and Artemis, whose platforms and scattered column drums lie among the scrub. A path climbs to the top in about fifteen minutes and gives the best overview of the theatre and the village.
Walls and cisterns
Around the edge of the site, stretches of the city wall survive with towers and gates of fitted stone. Look also for the large rock-cut cisterns and the remains of the basilica, which shows that Selge stayed occupied in Christian times. Paths are rough and unmarked, so keep the theatre in sight as a landmark.
Oluk Bridge over the Koprucay
On the road up, about halfway from the coast, a single-arched Roman bridge spans the gorge of the Koprucay, the ancient Eurymedon. It still carries the road, and you can stop to walk across and look down into the narrow canyon. Raft groups pass beneath it in summer, and trout restaurants cluster on the riverbank below.
A short history
Ancient writers said Selge was founded by Spartans, although the city was in fact a Pisidian hill town that later adopted Greek culture. Its fertile uplands produced olive oil, wine, timber and a prized storax resin, and the city could field an army of twenty thousand men. Selge kept its independence for centuries: it sent envoys to Alexander the Great in 333 BC and survived a long siege by the Seleucid general Achaeus in 218 BC by paying a heavy ransom. Coins show it still prospered under Hadrian, and in the 5th century AD it repelled a band of Goths. It became a bishopric and faded in the Middle Ages. The site has never been fully excavated.
Getting there
Selge lies about 60 km north of Manavgat and about 130 km from Antalya airport. From the coastal highway near Serik, take the road inland towards Beskonak and the Koprulu Canyon National Park, then follow the signs uphill past the Oluk Bridge to the village of Altinkaya. The last section is a narrow, winding mountain road with steep drops, now asphalted, and takes about 40 minutes from Beskonak. Parking is free in the village beside the theatre. Allow about 1 hour 30 minutes from Manavgat or Side and 2 hours from Antalya. There is no regular public bus to the village, so without a car the only realistic options are a tour or a taxi hired for the day.
Rules and what to bring
The ruins are in a working village, so respect fields, gardens and animals, and close any gates you open. Do not climb on the walls or the stage remains. Drones need a permit inside the national park. Bring water, a hat and solid shoes: there is no shop or toilet at the site itself, and shade is scarce. The weather at about 1,000 metres changes quickly, so carry a layer even in summer.
When to go
Selge stands at about 1,000 metres, so it is cooler than the coast, but the midday sun in July and August is still strong and there is little shade around the theatre. Tour groups from the resorts usually reach the ruins between late morning and early afternoon, after the canyon viewpoints, so those driving themselves will find the site quietest in the early morning or after 4 pm.
April, May and June are the best months, with green fields, wildflowers and snow still on the peaks behind the theatre. September and October are also good, with clear air and harvest activity in the village. From December to February the road can be icy and snow sometimes covers the site, and many canyon restaurants close. Allow one to two hours at the ruins, and a full day for the round trip with the bridge, the canyon and a lunch stop by the river.
Combine it with
The Koprulu Canyon, with rafting at Beskonak and the Oluk Bridge, is on the way up. The Tazi Canyon viewpoint lies about 30 minutes by road to the west. On the coast, the Roman city of Side with its theatre and harbour temples is about 1 hour 30 minutes away, and Aspendos, with the best preserved Roman theatre in Turkey, is a similar distance.
At a glance
| Hours | Open-air site with no fence, visitable in daylight hours all year |
|---|---|
| Closed | Open daily |
| Entry fee | Free |
| Time needed | 1 to 2 hours on site |
| Best time | Morning or late afternoon; April to June and September to October |
| Booking | No ticket needed; book jeep or canyon tours a day ahead in summer |
| Access | Rough paths over rocks and terraced fields; theatre steps uneven; little shade; no wheelchair access |
| Getting there | Car or jeep tour from Manavgat via Beskonak, about 1 hour 30 minutes on a mountain road |
| Civilisation | Greek |
| Checked | October 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
When is Selge open?
Open-air site with no fence, visitable in daylight hours all year. Open daily.
How much is the entry fee for Selge?
Entry fee: Free.
How long do you need at Selge?
Allow 1 to 2 hours on site for Selge.
Do I need to book Selge in advance?
No ticket needed; book jeep or canyon tours a day ahead in summer.
Can I book a ticket or tour for Selge online?
Yes. GetYourGuide lists 9 tickets and tours for Selge, with live dates and prices and free cancellation on most of them.
When is the best time to visit Selge?
Morning or late afternoon; April to June and September to October.
How do I get to Selge?
Car or jeep tour from Manavgat via Beskonak, about 1 hour 30 minutes on a mountain road.
Is Selge accessible, and what is the terrain like?
Rough paths over rocks and terraced fields; theatre steps uneven; little shade; no wheelchair access.
Is Selge worth visiting?
Worth it for a mountain day out that combines a Roman theatre, a canyon road and an ancient bridge. Skip or shorten it if you want a fully excavated city with museums, since most of Selge is scattered stones among village fields.