Aspendos

Aspendos was an ancient port city in the Pamphylian region of Asia Minor, situated about 46 kilometres east of modern Antalya, and its theatre ranks among the most intact Roman structures anywhere in the world. Built in the 2nd century AD under the reign of Marcus Aurelius — tradition names its architect as Zeno, son of Theodorus — the cavea held up to 15,000 spectators, and the two-storey stage building (scaenae frons) still stands nearly complete, an extraordinary rarity in Roman archaeology. Its survival owes much to the Seljuk sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I, who repurposed it as a caravanserai in the 13th century, effectively preserving it through continued use. Beyond the theatre, an aqueduct and a nymphaeum remain visible, while the bulk of the city itself lies unexcavated beneath the surrounding fields — a largely untouched archaeological time capsule. Each summer the theatre hosts the Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival, pairing ancient acoustics with contemporary productions under the open sky.