Aspendos Theatre
Aspendos Antik Tiyatrosu
One of the best-preserved ancient Roman theatres in the world, seating about 15,000 people, and still hosting operas and ballets today.
Aspendos lies about 45 km east of Antalya and was an important city in ancient Pamphylia. Its theatre was designed by the architect Zeno and built in the 2nd century CE during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Built into a hillside, its roughly 40 rows of seating can hold about 15,000 to 20,000 people. The most striking feature is the nearly intact stage backdrop (scaenae frons), about 25 meters high, with two levels of colonnades and niches, which is extremely rare among Roman theatres. Part of the reason for its excellent preservation is that it was used as a caravanserai and palace during the Seljuk period. The theatre has outstanding acoustics. Speak softly at center stage and you can be heard even from the top row. Each year around September, an international opera and ballet festival is held, and watching a performance in a theatre two thousand years old is a rare experience. On the hill behind the theatre are the remains of an assembly hall, a forum, and an aqueduct, and walking the site takes about an hour. Admission is about EUR 20, check on site. It takes about an hour by car from Antalya, and it is usually visited on a day tour together with Perge and Side.
Opening hours
Approx. 08:00–19:00 (winter approx. 08:00–17:00)
Nearby sights
- The Land of Legends
- Köprülü Canyon National Park
- Temple of Apollo, Side
- Side Ancient City
- Manavgat Waterfall
- Perge
- Lara Beach
- Kurşunlu Waterfall