Aspendos

An ancient city home to one of the best-preserved Roman theatres in the world.

Why it is worth visiting

Very few theatres have survived from antiquity with their stage buildings intact, and Aspendos is one of the best preserved. Set on a hill above the plain of the Köprüçay — the ancient Eurymedon — in Antalya’s Serik district, the city shows how far Roman theatre architecture had come, and it is toured less as a ruin than as a building that still works.

The theatre and its acoustics

The theatre was designed by the architect Zeno during the reign of Marcus Aurelius (161–180 CE) to hold a crowd of fifteen to twenty thousand. What makes it extraordinary is that the tall stage building behind the seating survives almost complete, not just the tiers. Because of that completeness the acoustics remain remarkable: a quiet sound made at the centre of the orchestra carries easily to the upper rows.

The Pamphylian setting

Aspendos was one of the wealthy cities of Pamphylia along the Antalya coast. Trade carried down the Eurymedon to the sea funded the city, and that wealth is visible in the scale of the theatre and the public buildings around it. Together with nearby Perge and Side, the region saw dense urban growth under Rome.

Beyond the theatre

Most visitors stop at the theatre, but the upper city on the hill holds an agora, a basilica and the aqueduct that supplied the city with water. The aqueduct is notable for the engineering that carried water under pressure from the Taurus valleys some 25 kilometres away. These structures are a reminder that the city was a working settlement, not only a place of performance.

Planning a visit

There is little shade, so spring and autumn are the best times to avoid both the heat and the crowds. In summer the theatre hosts the international opera and ballet festival that bears its name, and evening events can affect visiting hours; it is worth confirming the current schedule and entry conditions with the official source.

The visit

When you step into the theatre, the height of the stage building meets you first; climbing to the top of the seating tiers is the best way to grasp both the scale of the structure and its acoustics. From the upper rows you can see the plain behind the theatre and, in the distance, the foothills of the Taurus. Visiting early in the morning helps avoid both the heat and the crowds, while the afternoon light brings out the stone texture of the stage facade. In this open area with little shade, water, a hat and comfortable shoes make the visit easier. If you have time, set some aside for the path up to the upper city; the crowds thin noticeably there.

Nearby

Aspendos can be combined with Perge and Side to see the three great cities of Pamphylia on one route. The waterfalls and river trips around Manavgat also fit into the same day.