Ancient site· Serik, Antalya
Aspendos
The most intact Roman theatre on earth — 12,000 seats, still acoustically perfect after 18 centuries.
Story
Built around 155 AD by the architect Zeno for emperor Marcus Aurelius, Aspendos is the most intact Roman theatre on earth. The 96-metre stage building still has its niches, the cavea seats 12,000, and you can hear a coin drop on the orchestra floor from the topmost row. The only modern interventions are wooden seat numbers; everything else is original Pamphylian stone.
Did you know
- Aspendos's acoustic still works — concerts and operas are staged here every summer.
- Zeno was rewarded with a marriage to the patron's daughter for the design.
- The aqueduct just outside town carried water 19 km on syphon pipes — a Roman engineering rarity.
Practical info
- Location
- 36.9389°N · 31.1722°E
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