2,200-year-old theater brought back to life in southwestern Turkey

By Sebahatdin Zeyrek

DENIZLI, Turkey (AA) - The restoration efforts on a 2,200-year-old ancient theater in Turkey's southwestern Denizli province have been finalized, according to an official's statement on Monday.

The restoration and excavations have been continuing ceaselessly in the ancient city of Laodicea, which is on the UNESCO Tentative List, under the leadership of Prof Celal Simsek, while those of the urban theater's have been completed.

Simsek said in a press conference that the theater, with a capacity of 15,000 people, have been brought back to life thanks to the restoration project that started in 2019.

Noting that the team applied the restoration techniques of international criteria, he said, "This is the most extensive project whose restoration has been completed in such a short time."

Simsek added that ten academics, a specialist architect, 12 archeologists, four restoring personnel and 20 workers participated in the faithful project, managing to carry out years of work in only around 15 years, thanks to the contributions by the South Aegean Development Agency and the metropolitan municipality of Denizli.

* Writing by Dilan Pamuk in Ankara