This article has been previously published as a part of book Antalya, Side and Alanya: TAN Travel Guide by Izabela Miszczak
The greco-roman remains of Aspendos ancient city are situated in Pamphylia, approximately 40 km east of Antalya, on the Eurymedon river. The city was 16 km away from the Mediterranean coast. The main reason for most of the tourists to visit Aspendos is its Roman theatre which is the best preserved structure of its kind in the world. The additional attraction of Aspendos lies in the possibility of participation in many artistic events organised in the theatre.
However, Aspendos is more than just a theatre, there are also the ruins of many other structures, including a stadium, a basilica and an agora. Moreover, the local aqueduct is well-preserved. One of two starting points for the St. Paul's walking trail starts in Aspendos, while the second one is situated in Perge.
According to Greek tradition Aspendos was funded by the colonists from Argos who arrived here under the leadership of Mopsos around 1000 BC. Argos was a city located in the Peloponnese. Most probably the area of Aspendos had earlier been settled by the local inhabitants, but the city started to develop only after the arrival of the Greeks.
Aspendos minted its own coins which were widely accepted in the ancient world, thus giving evidence to the huge importance of the city. In 5th century BC Aspenos was the main city in Pamphylia and competed with Side that also minted its own silver coins. In the 5th and 4th centuries BC, according to the information provided by the coins, Aspendos was called Estwediya. This name may be derived from the name of king Asitawada who is mentioned on Hittite hieroglyphic inscriptions from Karatepe near Adana. The symbols of the city, visible on the coins, were two naked wrestlers.
The significance of Aspendos in Greek era did not come from its political influences, but from the well-developed economy which provided great wealth for the city. In these times the Eurymedon (present-day Köprüçay) river was navigable from the coast to Aspendos, i.e. the distance of 16 km. The city collected great incomes from the trade in salt, olive oil and wool. It was also renowned from horse breeding and its horses were highly valued in the whole Mediterranean region.
The political history of Aspendos is similar to the history of the whole Pamphylia. Firstly, the city came under the Lydian rule and in 546 BC was conquered by Persians. However, the fact that it continued to mint its own coins meant that it had a relatively large degree of independence.
In 467 BC an Athenian general and politician Kimon defeated a large Phoenician fleet, that formed the part of Persian military forces, near the mouth of the Eurymedon. Persian land forces were defeated by a stratagem, as the best Greek soldiers got dressed on the clothes that belonged to the Persian captives. When they arrived in the vicinity of Persian camp, the Persians thought that ther were released prisoners of war and started a large feast. During the celebrations the remaining part of Greek forces landed and destroyed them. Aspendos became a member of the Delian League, which was managed by Athens.
The Persians regained the control over Aspendos in 411 BC and transformed the city into a military base. In 389 BC one of Athenian general tried to 'liberate' Aspendos, against the will of its inhabitants. They collected a large sum of money and gave it to the Greeks in return for their promise to withdraw their army. The general accepted this tribute, but his troops destroyed the fields surrounding Aspendos. In revenge the inhabitants of Aspendos murdered him.
Aspendos remained under the Persian governance until 333 BC when Alexander the Great arrived to this part of Asia Minor, freshly victorious after the conquest of nearby Perge. Aspendos inhabitants offered the tribute in coins and horses to the Macedonian leader, equal to the one they had previously paid the Persians. Alexander the Great accepted these conditions and marched on to the east, to Side, leaving a small garrison in Aspendos, stationed in the lower city.
When the Macedonian army returned Alexander learned that Aspendos citizens had no intention of keeping the terms of their agreement and were preparing for defending their city from its acropolis. Alexander immediately changed the direction of his army route and when he got closer to the city, its inhabitants sent their emissaries again to renegotiate the agreement. This time they were forced to accept much harsher conditions: the Macedonian forces were to remain in the city permanently and the value of the annual tribute was raised to 100 gold talents and 4 thousand horses.
In Hellenistic period the importance of Aspendos grew and the city flourished. After the Battle of Magnesia in 190 BC, fought between Roman forces and the army of Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid Empire, the Pamphylia area was officially incorporated into the kingdom of Pergamon. After the death of the last Pergamane king, Attalus III, his kingdom was bequeathed to Rome. The Romans rebuilt Aspendos and enriched it with many magnificent public buildings. In the period of its highest development the number of Aspendos inhabitants is estimated to reach 20 thousand.
The decline of the city started in the end of the Roman period and this process continued during the Byzantine times. The downfall of the city was speeded up by the Arab incursions in the 7th and the 11th century AD. In the 13th century the city was conquered by the Seljuqs. In this period the Roman theatre in Aspendos was rebuilt by the orders of the sultan Ala ad-Din Kayqubad I. The theatre building was decorated with ceramin tiles and geometric paintings and transformed first into a sultan's summer residence and then - into a caravanserai. In the 15th century AD Aspendos became a part of the Ottoman Empire.
The latest round of archaeological excavations in Aspendos started in 2008 under the management of professor Veli Köse from Ankara's Hacettepe University. The goal of this research project is to study all the factors, natural and technological, that influenced the changes of the city and its surroundings, from the first settlements until the present times.
The research started from the study of the city plan and its development. Currently, the scholars focus their efforts on the reconstruction of economical structure and political development of Aspendos. Their aim is to create a plan of urban area spatial development that will be used as a model for other Roman cities in the Mediterranean basin. The realisation of the project encompasses geophysical research, the studies of ceramics and inscriptions as well as the reconstructions of historical buildings.
Many finds from Aspendos excavations are on display in Archaeological Museum in Antalya.
Objects on site:
Despite the long history of the city, all structures visible in its area are from the Roman period. So far the archaeologists have not identified any earlier structures from the Hellenistic times.
The theatre in Aspendos is considered to be the best preserved theatre of antiquity (Akurgal 2011). The Roman builders of this structure managed to express the state of ideal balance between the auditorium and the skene building and, what's more, to whole theatre matches perfectly into the landscape. Read more...
One of the best-preserved fragments of Roman aqueduct in Turkey are situated in Aspendos. The water was supplied to the city from two sources in the mountains, approximately 17 km to the north of Aspendos. The water supply system consisted of a canal, bridges and tunnels. The last strech of the system, 2-kilometers long, was a complicated system of reverse siphons and water towers that reached 30 meters of height.
The leg between two towers led over the land and was placed on the system of some arcades in order to compensate for the uneven terrain. These arcades are 15 meters high and their upper part is 5.5 meters wide. For this reason some scholars claim that a road led there, above the ground and it was used when the area was inundated.
The remains of a stadium from the 2nd century AD are situated on the eastern slope of the acropolis hill in Aspendos. The stadium is U-shaped and its dimensions are 220 meters in lenght and 30 meters in width. Not much is preserved of this structure. Its north-eastern section is in the best condition and there one can see the fragments of seats and some arches that supported the whole construction. It is estimated that 8 thousand spectators could be seated in this stadium.
Three city gates have been preserved until the present times in the area of Aspendos acropolis, among them the southern gate is in the best condition. Additionally, an arch over the road that led from the eastern gate to the agora is still standing. Before this arch the road broadens thus creating a small square. Around it the bases where some statues used to stand are visible. The alley is intersected by the canal that transported the sewage from the acropolis.
The main square of Aspendos had trading and political functions. It is situated in the middle of the acropolis and is surrounded by public city buildings, among them: a basilica, a nymphaeum, a bouleuterion, a market hall and an exedra. The shape of this agora is irregular and results from the topographical features of the hill.
The only surviving part of a nymphaeum in Aspendos is its facade that resembles the nymphaeum in Side. The facade is two-tiered and each tier has five niches. The water, supplied by the piping system to the building, flowed from its middle niches.
The height of the facade is 15 meters and its width - 32 meters. Above the lower row of niches some fragments of richly decorated beams have survived. In the past the facase was also decorated by a Ionic collonade. The nymphaeum was built in the 2nd or the 3rd century AD.
This basilica was one of the most important public city building. The eastern part of this building, which survived in excellent condition to the present day, was used as a political venue and a court. The size of this rectangular meeting hall is 20 by 25 meters. Two wide gateways, situated on the northern and southern walls, lead into the building.
Inside three wall niches, where the statues were placed, are visible. The statues of emperor Hardian and a woman, found in this hall, are currently on display in Archaeological Museum in Antalya.
The western section of the basilica was used for commercial purposes. It was 105 meters long and divided into a central hall and two naves. Only foundations of this section are in evidence today.
Bouleuterion in Aspendos has a form of a roofed hall with rows of seats. There the city council met. The remains of this building are on the northern side of the nymphaeum. Currently only some fragment of its walls are visible along with the holes where the wooden roof was assembled.
This 70 meters long building consisted of a row of smaller chambers where the shops were located. From the front side it was decorated by a stoa.
This is a curvilinear open recess which in the past provided seats for the public. It was richly decorated with statues.
On the north-eastern side of the acropolis hill scant remains of a temple are visible. Its dimensions were 24 on 13 meters and it represented the peripteros type i.e. it was surrounded around its outside by a colonnade (pteron) on all four sides of the cella. The Doric columns stood on a stylobate: 11 columns on its both longer sides and 6 columns on its both shorter sides.
Additionally, some remains of a temenos wall are visible. The scholars have not been able to identify the deity that was worshipped in this temple.
Baths and gymnasium
Two vaulted structures that are visible along the road that leads to the theatre served, most probably, as baths and a gymnasium.
This cementary from the classical period is located on the bottom of the acropolis, on its south-eastern side. Most of the graves were robbed in the antiquity. One of the most interesting archaeological finds from the necropolis area is a vessel that was used for mixing water and wine, i.e. a bell krater. This vessel from the 5th century BC, decorated with red figures, is exhibited in Archaeological Museum in Antalya.
To enter Aspensos ruins it is necessary to buy a ticket. In 2013 the price of a normal ticket was 15 TL. The area of Aspendos is open for visitors for 9 am to 7 pm. The ticket allows the entrance to the theatre and the acropolis hill. The access to the aqueduct and baths-gymnasium ruins is free of charge.
There is a museum shop is Aspendos that sells souvenirs and books.
In front of the theatre there is a large, unshaded parking place, which is additionally charged. It is also possible to park a car a little bit further from the main ruins, nearby the gymnasium free of charge.
The theatre in Aspendos is currently under restoration therefore the access to its various areas may be limited for visitors. In 2013 the work was conducted in the upper part of the cavea and the external facade of the skene building was hidden behind the scaffolding.
The acropolis area is vast and it is difficult to find some shade. Before setting out to explore it one might need to consider wearing sturdy shoes and some sun protection as well as taking bottled water.
There are several restaurants near Aspendos which mostly cater for organised groups of visitors. Among these places we recommend Özen restaurant (tel. 0 90 242 711 61 88). It is situated 2 km north of Aspendos, on the Köprüçay river. We were especially satisfied with the freshly caught trout and well-prepared Adana kebab.
It is not an easy task to get to Aspendos. One way of getting there is by a rented car. From Antalya one needs to drive 47 km along D400 road to Alanya (to the east) and then turn left just after Serik, close to the Köprüçay river. Next one should follow this river upstream for the next 4 km. Before reaching Aspendos it is worthwhile to stop next to the bridge from the Seljuq period. The geographical coordinates of the Aspendos turn-off are: 36.913804, 31.156168.
It is also possible to get to the Aspendos turn-off by a dolmus that travel between Antalya and Manavgat. One can walk the remaining distance of 4 km or, alternatively, take a taxi or hitch a ride.
Another option is to buy a trip in one of local travel agencies that operate in Alanya, Side and Antalya. Most of these agencies offer a trip that connects the visit to Aspendos with sightseeing of Side or Perge and Kurşunlu waterfalls. The disadvantage of this option is limited time available in Aspendos, which enables the visit to the theatre only.
There are no accommodation options near Aspendos, and the most convenient solution is to find a hotel in Antalya or Side.