Laodicea’s ancient theater restored to its former glory

DENİZLİ

The ancient theater in the ancient city of Laodicea, located in the western province of Denizli and listed on UNESCO’s Tentative World Heritage List, has been restored to its former glory after 2,200 years.

The theater, which had been destroyed by earthquakes, was brought back to life during extensive restoration works. Professor Celal Şimşek, head of the Laodicea excavation team, said, “This is a significant restoration project in world history, as it is nearly 90 percent true to its original structure, meeting international standards.”

The theater, built in the second century B.C. in Laodicea and used for artistic and cultural events during the Hellenistic and Roman periods, was abandoned in the fifth century with the spread of Christianity. Over time, major earthquakes completely destroyed the 15,000-seat theater.

Located to the west of the ancient city, which is home to one of the seven churches mentioned in the Bible, the theater boasts a scenic view of the Pamukkale travertines. Restoration works, led by Şimşek, head of the Archaeology Department at Pamukkale University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, began in 2019. The project received financial support from the Denizli Metropolitan Municipality and the South Aegean Development Agency. As a result, the ancient theater, originally built 2,200 years ago and later destroyed by earthquakes, has now been restored.

Şimşek emphasized that they successfully revived the ancient theater while preserving its authenticity.

“We have been conducting excavations here for 21 years on behalf of Pamukkale University and the Culture and Tourism Ministry. The western theater is significant as the first theater of the city’s Hellenistic period. It was built in the 2nd century B.C., underwent reconstruction after an earthquake in the 3rd century, was destroyed again in the 368 earthquake that devastated Western Anatolia, and was once more rebuilt," he said.

"However, it suffered severe destruction in an earthquake in 494. In 2019, we launched the restoration project for the theater. Within two years, we restored the seating steps of this 96-meter-diameter theater. This is an important restoration effort in world history, as it is nearly 90 percent true to its original state, in line with international standards,” he added.

'It was a public theater'

“The inscriptions we discovered here revealed that the Western Theater was not only an early-period theater but also a state theater. Many inscriptions indicate that it was a public theater where many free events were held for the people. As part of the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s ‘Heritage for the Future’ project, we are continuing our work on the stage building. In previous years, we dedicated significant effort to restoring the seating steps of the Western Theater. We have now started restoring the upper floors of the vaulted section of the stage, as well as the 16 columns of the first level, which consists of four podiums. The restoration work in the theater is being carried out with great precision." Şimşek said.