Antique Theater (Amphitheater) description and photos - Turkey: Side (Topic)

Antique theater (Amphitheater) description and photos - Turkey: Side. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Amphitheater.

Photo and description

In Side, there are the remains of a Roman theater that could accommodate almost 20 thousand spectators. It was built in the middle of the 2nd century AD. The building has elements that distinguish it from other theaters built earlier. It was built in a completely different way from the Hellenes - on the side of the mountain, but in the Roman style - on a flat platform, the seats are held on vaulted arches, the arches themselves - on the foundation. Spectators entered it through covered galleries and climbed up the stairs to their row. The stage and vaults were decorated with statues and tiles. All that remains today are the masks of Tragedy and Comedy, the chipped heads of Medusa scattered across the stage.

During the time of the Romans, gladiator fights with predatory animals were held here, as well as staged sea battles, for which the stage was filled with water. For safety reasons, a 1.5 m high wall was built around the stage. In the 5th-6th centuries, the theater became a Christian temple.

Near the theater, in a semicircular building, there is an antique public toilet for 24 seats with a sewer.

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Topic: Antique Theater (Amphitheater) description and photos - Turkey: Side.