It appeared thanks to the work of a team of archaeologists. It is almost intact, with capacity for 20 thousand people and 25 meters high. The Roman coliseum buried 1800 years ago is a new jewel left by that culture.
A couple of millennia ago such spectacles were common. Combats with lions, melee battles between gladiators and massacres of ancient beasts. This used to be seen in the Turkish province of Aydın a couple of millennia ago. There, the remains of an almost intact Roman coliseum were found. It stood untouched under the protection of a hill. It is estimated that the arena could have held about 20 thousand spectators.
High engineering
Dating indicates at least 1,800 years after it was built. It was found on the hills of a western province in Turkey. Mehmet Umut Tuncer is provincial director of Culture and Tourism of Aydın and leader of the project. He recounts, “Most of the amphitheater is underground.” In addition, part of the visible area is covered by local trees and shrubs, he explained.
Originally, the site was found in the summer of 2020. Umut Tuncer’s team obtained permission to conduct archaeological investigations in the ancient city. For this, they had to cut down wild bushes and trees in the area. Local vegetation is being protected without damaging the amphitheater structures.
According to Turkish archaeologists, the buried Roman coliseum dates back to 200 AD. It was a period of extensive economic growth in that region of the Roman Empire. For this reason, the masonry enjoyed the highest engineering resources of the time. Although some of the rows of seats collapsed, the structure retains most of its original splendor.
Bloody spectacles
Compared to the coliseum in the capital of the empire, which held 50,000 people, this one could only hold about 20,000. The outer walls were raised up to 25 meters high. It also had specialized rooms for gladiators.
According to experts, “People from neighboring cities came to the city of Mastaura to watch the big events in this building. It was specially designed for bloody spectacles.” Despite this, at present, masonry stones are falling off in the ancient structure. Today, researchers are working on developing a 3D model of the Turkish Roman colosseum for further study.
