Aspendos
Εσπερδος · Aspendus · Estwediys (native Pamphylian)
Bronze Age to Byzantine (peak Antonine 2nd century CE)·Pamphylian Greek → Hellenistic → Roman → Byzantine → Seljuk·🇹🇷 Antalya Province, Pamphylia, Turkey
About
About Aspendos
Pamphylian Eurymedon River city whose 155 CE theatre by architect Zenon — 15,000 seats, 96 m diameter, fully roofable acoustic gallery inscription still legible — is the most complete Roman theatre on earth, famously intact enough for Atatürk to order it conserved rather than excavated. Behind it runs a 1 km arcaded aqueduct (c.90 CE) with two siphon towers and pressure pipe, the best Roman inverted siphon in Anatolia, climbing the acropolis to supply nymphaeum.
Why it mattersTheatre textbook example studied in every architecture history; aqueduct exemplifies siphon engineering.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01How gallery roof covered 15,000 without intermediate columns?
- 02Acropolis basilica's conversion phasing
Theories
- 01Theatre funded as plague votum after Antonine pandemic grain profits
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- Hittite/Arzawan settlement; Greek foundation c.1000 BCE; theatre 155 CE under Marcus Aurelius
- Period
- Bronze Age to Byzantine (peak Antonine 2nd century CE)
- Culture
- Pamphylian Greek → Hellenistic → Roman → Byzantine → Seljuk
- Builders
- Architect Zenon son of Theodorus (theatre patron Curtius Crispinus and his brother Auspicatus)
- Purpose
- Eurymedon port and grain-emporium; Seljuk winter palace (Eşab-ı Kehf mosque overlay on basilica)
- Abandoned
- c.7th century port silting; theatre reused as caravanserai under Kayqubad I
- Rediscovered
- Always known; 1910s–1930s Italian survey, 1950s– Turkish restoration
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
469 BCE
Battle of Eurymedon — Cimon defeats Persians off Aspendos
155 CE
Theatre dedicated to gods and emperor by Curtii brothers
1930s
Atatürk orders conserve-not-excavate policy for theatre
On the ground
Structures & features
36.9389° N · 31.1722° E · 18 m · 3 mapped features
Roman Theatre of Zenon
theatre155 CE 96 m theatre, cavea on vaults, intact stage and gallery
36.9389° N · 31.1725° EAqueduct siphon towers
aqueductTwin towers and 1 km arcaded inverted siphon pressure line
36.9410° N · 31.1680° EBasilica / Seljuk palace conversion
basilicaAcropolis basilica reused as Seljuk Eşab-ı Kehf palace
36.9395° N · 31.1710° E
Gallery