Aspendos is believed to have been founded in the fifth century BC by colonists from Argos and is said to have been founded by the soothsayer Mops. In order to avoid raids from the sea, the city was built 16 kilometres away, on the banks of the of the then navigable river Euremedon (the river's current name is Keprew). Aspendos was part of the Delian Maritime Confederation until 425 BC.
According to the historian of the time, Strabo, the Persians anchored their ships here before a battle against the Athenian maritime alliance, otherwise known as the Delosian Confederation. confederation. This rather large river trading port was captured by Alexander the Great in 333 BC. When he arrived in Pamphylia, the people of Aspendos persuaded him not to occupy the city and in return they offered him 50 talents of gold. and 1,000 horses. But they did not keep their promise, and Alexander invaded the into the city.
In 190 BC, after the Battle of Sipyla, Aspendos became part of the Roman Roman Empire. It was during this period that the city reached its highest prosperity and became one of the three of the three largest cities in Pamphylia. The rapid development of the city and its transformation into one of the largest trading centres, thanks to its mild climate and convenient location. location. Olive orchards and vineyards sprang up around Aspendos, and the city minted its own silver coins. and they minted their own silver coins. It was also the city where you could buy where you could buy excellent horses. The most famous harbour and trading town. sold corn, jewellery and wine. But after such prosperity and prosperity, the city, like the rest of Asia Minor, fell under Byzantine rule and gradually declined. В and in the early 13th century, Aspendos was conquered by Seljuks and conquered by the Seljuks and soon ceased to exist.
Nowadays, Aspendos is known for its amphitheatre, built in the second century and restored later by the Seljuks. The inscriptions engraved on the stones on the stones of the structure in Hellenic and Latin, indicate that the theatre was dedicated to the emperor's family and built with donations from two brothers, Curtius Crispinus and Curtius Auspicatus. The impressive size of the structure allowed it to hold to seat about 17,000 spectators, and the orchestra pit was designed for 500 musicians. The theatre has 39 rows of steps, 96 metres long and the distance between them is half a metre. between them is half a metre. Above the grandstands is a beautiful arched gallery, which allowed the audience to stay in the shade while attending the performances. Opposite the amphitheatre is a rectangular room, which was used as a changing room for the actors. the actors' dressing room with five doorways and a small space for performances. for performances. The wall of this room facing the auditorium is decorated with two rows of windows. of windows. Zeno, the architect of the theatre, designed it so that all the audience can hear equally well even whispers. can hear equally well even whispers coming from the stage.
The theatre has been preserved better than other ancient theatres in Turkey due to the strength of the of the local lime stone and the Seljuks' reinforcement of its northern wing with brickwork when they converted it into a palace. The amphitheatre, to some extent. The amphitheatre bears to some extent the features of Greek architecture, with its semicircular shape and the spectator seats located on a hillside. seats on the hillside. In the Roman era, the theatre was beautifully finished marble and decorated with relief designs and sculptures. Its sumptuous galleries, the artistic design of the stage, the ancient ornaments and the excellent acoustics still amaze visitors. amaze visitors to this day. The theatre was only discovered in 1871, during one of Count Landskind's travels. during one of the Earl of Landskon's journeys through the region. One of the most striking historical beauties of the Anatolian peninsula, the structure was transformed after extensive reconstruction in the 1950s.
Classical music concerts, opera and ballet performances are regularly held here. opera and ballet performances. The acoustics of the theatre are so good that they allow artists to perform without microphones. These festivals usually start in June and there are so many people who want to enjoy the spectacle the spectacle so much that whole busloads of people come from Antalya to Aspendos. from Antalya to Aspendos. To this day, the best opera voices of the world still perform on the stage of the theatre, symphony orchestras. Pink Floyd, for example, filmed their music video here. from the album The Wall. Numerous concerts and shows were held in the theatre. until 2008, but now they're held in the nearby Aspendos Arena. arena. The most popular show is called "Fire of Anatolia" and is performed by the by a band of the same name. Throughout the tourist season it can be seen several once a week at 10 pm.
The ruins of the Roman Aqueduct, which has retained its original height, can be seen at a distance of one kilometre from the city. can be seen one kilometre from the city. In ancient times it supplied Aspendos with water. To this day it is the largest in Turkey. It is length is more than 20 kilometres.
There is an ancient legend associated with the history of the construction of the aqueduct and theatre of Aspendos. The king of the city had a very beautiful daughter Semiramis and to take her as a wife dreamed of two architects. So the king said that the one who could marry her would be the one who could, who could build the most magnificent building in the city. The suitors immediately set to work and completed the building at the same time: one of them built the theatre, the other the aqueduct. Both buildings were magnificent and very much liked the king. Not knowing who to favour, the king suggested that the rivals divide Semiramis in half. Semiramis in half. The creator of the aqueduct agreed to this option, but the second architect preferred to give up the beauty in favour of his rival. The king realised that the noble author of the theatre loved his daughter and would make a fine husband for her. Semiramis married this architect.
Usually after seeing the theatre, tour guides take you on a walk through the ruins of the city. Some part of these marvellous and original buildings is still preserved and makes a unique impression. All the ruins that have survived to this day, date back to the Roman period. On the north side of the theatre you can see a very well-preserved stadium. Between the theatre and the stadium you can see a path, leading to the Acropolis. It can be entered through the eastern gate, one of the three gates of the city. Here you'll see part of the basilica, of which only the foundations remain. only the foundations. To the right of these buildings is a small fountain, which has with only the front part of the fountain still intact. The massive buildings that meet on the road to the theatre theatre from the Eurymedon River were once gymnasiums and baths.
If you walk further, to the regulator of the river Kopruchai, on the opposite side of the river you will notice a mass of restaurant. on the opposite bank of the river, you'll notice a lot of restaurants. They cater mainly for tourists and have a varied and rich menu. Here you should definitely try the meat, chicken or fish roast. A little further on are the picnic areas picnic areas equipped with tables and cookers.
