ISTANBUL, Jul 14 (NNN-XINHUA) – A 2,000-year-old ancient theatre in north-western Türkiye, is to open for tourism by the end of the year, semi-official Anadolu Agency, reported yesterday.
The theatre, which has a capacity of 10,000 people, was built in the second century, during the reign of Roman Emperor, Trajan, in modern-day Iznik district of Bursa Province for gladiatorial fights and religious purposes.
The theatre was damaged in several earthquakes in the past. Archaeological excavations at the theatre have been sponsored by the Bursa municipality since 2015, Anadolu said.
Aygun Ekin Meric, an assistant professor of archaeology at Izmir’s Dokuz Eylul University, said, the ancient theatre was one of the rare structures built on a flat area and raised with vaults, without revealing the size of an area the theatre covers.
His team also discovered ceramics during the excavations, according to Anadolu.– NNN-XINHUA
