Aspendos Ancient City is one of the most well-known and most important ancient cities of Antalya, with the best preserved Roman Theatre in the Mediterranean and the best acoustics in the world, its 20.000-person settlement, and its magnificent view now overlooking the orange groves. Where is Aspendos Ancient City, how to get there, legends, stories, history, places to visit and more are waiting for you in this article, happy reading!
What You Will Find In This Article
General Information About Aspendos Ancient City
The central parts of the region where the city of Antalya is located today was known as Pamphylia, which means "Land of All Tribes" in ancient times. The most important and known ancient city of Antalya and Pamphylia region is Aspendos Antique City. Aspendos is the best preserved of the entire Mediterranean dish. Roma to the theater It has a well-deserved reputation.
What makes Aspendos Aspendos is passing very close to it. Köprüçay, with its ancient name Eurymedon riveris Thanks to the trade traffic on the river connecting Aspendos to the Mediterranean, the city has become the busiest commercial center of the region.
Do not forget to include Köprüçay, Köprülü Canyon and Tazı Canyon in your Aspendos itinerary, they are already very close to each other.
The main buildings of the city of Aspendos are located in the Acropolis, the upper city, which is located meters above the river bed. In other words, while visiting the ancient city, the hill will be climbed again. Therefore, if you are visiting the ancient city, especially in summer, be sure to take a hat, water and wear comfortable shoes. There is a museum shop at the entrance of the ancient city, if you didn't bring it with you, you can get your water from here.
In ancient times, the upper city was entered through 3 monumental gates. Only one of those doors remains today. When you start climbing up the road next to the Ancient Theatre, you will first see this gate. The road passing under the gate is one of the main roads entering the city. You can also clearly see the sewage system laid under the road. In ancient times, when people settled in cities, they gave great importance to solving the issue of water and sewage.
Aspendos witnessed many wars together with other Pamphylian cities, which were its contemporaries. The city, which was ruled by Alexander the Great, the Kingdom of Pergamon and the Roman Empire, became an important trade center with a population of 20.000. During the richest periods of the city, Basilica, Stadium, Theater and waterways were built. It is estimated that the city, which could no longer withstand earthquakes, epidemics and pirate attacks after the collapse of the Roman Empire, withdrew from the scene of history after the 7th century.
Aspendos is a city that is heavily nourished not only by trade but also by agriculture thanks to the fertile lands around it. Olive groves, vineyards, salt beds, horse breeding are done, hand-woven carpets and rugs, furniture made of olive wood and high quality Aspendos Wine are produced. Silver coins minted in Aspendos were considered the most valid currency of the Mediterranean Region.
The ancient theater of Aspendos is well-known for being the best preserved Roman theater of antiquity. The theater, which was built during the reign of the famous Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180 AD), has survived to the present day without any repairs. The theater with a capacity of 15-20 thousand people is also famous for its acoustics. The theater, which was opened to visitors in 1930 by our Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who impressed him every time with his vision, hosts the Opera and Ballet Festival every year. In other words, it is possible to watch live shows even today in the theater that is thousands of years old.
In ancient times, theaters were built to be covered. Below you can see a covered illustration of the Aspendos Theatre. on instagram sanatorium account He shared it, so I bought it from him.
There are 2 important points that you should not miss when you go to Aspendos.
- The first is the viewing point called the theater hill, where you can see the ancient theater from the top. You will have to climb a little to get here, but do not give up, because the view you will see is waiting for you.
- The second is the aqueducts, which are 1.5 kilometers from the entrance and are the subject of the legend below. It may be a bit far for walking, but it can be reached by car.
The Aspendos Story – Where Does the Name Aspendos Come From?
If we look at the Greek legends; Aspendos was founded by Argive colonists led by the heroic Mopsos, who came to Pamphylia after the Trojan War.
The first name of Aspendos, as understood from the minted coins, was Esivediiys. Today's word Aspendos is formed by the combination of the Persian words Aspa and Spanta, which means Horse and Sacred Place. It doesn't sound wrong that the name of a city famous for breeding the best horses in the world comes from the horse.
Shouldn't the theater with the best acoustics in the world also have a story? A legend about how good the acoustics of the ancient city of Aspendos was, is circulating. Me too Serik District GovernorateI got it from 's page. According to the legend;
The King of Aspendos announces that he will hold a competition to see who can serve the city the most, and that the winner can marry his daughter. Hearing this, the craftsmen set to work at full speed. Finally, when the day of judgment comes, the king examines everyone's efforts and chooses two candidates.
The first of these candidates succeeded in establishing a system that brings water to the city from long distances via aqueducts. The second candidate built the theatre. While the king is about to decide for the first candidate, he is asked to look at the theater again. Wandering around the uppermost gallery of the theatre, a voice of unknown origin said deeply and repeatedly, 'The king's daughter must be given to me.' hears you say. Surprised, the king searches for where the sound is coming from, but can't find anyone. This person is, of course, the very architect of the theater, who boasts about the acoustics of his masterpiece and speaks very quietly on stage. In the end, the architect wins the beautiful girl and the wedding ceremony is held in this theater.
Don't forget to try an acoustic when you enter the ancient theater!
Where is Aspendos and How to Go?
Aspendos is 46 kilometers from Antalya city center. After turning north at the 44th kilometer of the Antalya-Alanya highway, continue for 2 kilometers and you will reach the entrance gate where the Ancient Theater is located. You will already see the signs on the road.
Aspendos Ancient City is located within the borders of Serik district of Antalya and is only 8 kilometers from the center of Serik. If you want to come by public transport, you can reach Aspendos by minibuses departing from Serik.
Aspendos Ancient City Entrance Fee and Visiting Hours
The entrance fee of the ancient city is 60 TL, if you have a Museum Card, you can visit it for free.
The Ancient City of Aspendos can be visited between 09:00-19:00 in the summer period (between April and October), and between 08:30 and 17:30 in the winter period (between November and March). Taking into account that Antalya will be very hot during the summer months, I suggest you visit the ancient city early in the morning or in the afternoon. During the hot hours of the day, you can consider cooling off in the Tazı Canyon or Köprülü Canyon.
Aspendos City Plan – Aspendos Map
Aspendos city plan roughly listed below. On the information board at the entrance of the ancient city Aspendos map you will find. If you take a picture of it while entering the city, you will see the benefit of it. The entrance to the city is made from the box office right next to the Ancient Theatre.
The aqueducts, which are not included in the map above, are located approximately 1.5 kilometers from the entrance.
If you have come to visit the Aspendos Ancient City, you can add the following places to visit in Antalya to your itinerary:
- Places to Visit in Antalya Center
- Uçansu Waterfall
- Sillyon Ancient City
- Greyhound Canyon
- bridge Canyon
- Places to Visit in Antalya Province
Aspendos Ancient City Travel Video
You can see my travel video about Aspendos Ancient City and Tazı Canyon and Köprülü Canyon, which I went to on the same day, below.
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5 Comments
When its history, city plan, visuals and clear language of expression are combined, an extremely successful article has emerged. Good luck to you.
I congratulate you. Visiting cultures of thousands of years gives happiness to people who know. You need to travel around the world at every opportunity. It is necessary to see more places before you die.
Thank you so much
I benefited a lot. In these days of closure, your posts will be the best guide for those who travel a lot like us. Good luck with your work.
Thanks