Archaeologists unearth marble-paved roads, drainage system at 2,000-year-old Roman theater in Türkiye

By Busra Nur Yilmaz and Seyit Kurt

BURSA/ISTANBUL (AA) - Archaeological excavations in the western section of a 2,000-year-old Roman theater in Iznik, a district in Türkiye’s northwestern province of Bursa, have unearthed new findings, including entrance and exit passages, marble pavements and a drainage system.

The remains were uncovered during this year’s excavations led by archaeologist Aygun Ekin Meric from Dokuz Eylul University along the outer western perimeter of the theater.

Speaking to Anadolu, Meric said the ongoing excavations within the protected site are nearing completion this year.

According to her, the theater — which had a capacity of around 10,000 people — was particularly used for fashion and gladiator shows in the 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D. before later transitioning into a religious phase.

“Especially in the 4th and 5th centuries, the theater entered a phase of religious use,” she said. “The crosses, wreaths and church symbols seen on the rigole walls, as well as the fresco of the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus on her lap — a Theotokos type depiction — represent one of the earliest known examples in Anatolia.”

Highlighting Iznik’s significant role in early Christianity, Meric noted that with the convening of the First Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D., the theater’s function changed and it was used mainly for religious purposes until the 6th century.

She said nearly 300 clergymen invited from different parts of the world attended month-long meetings during the council, adding that the Iznik Roman Theater may have hosted some of these gatherings.

“We do not know the exact locations where all the meetings took place,” she said. “While the basilica is generally emphasized, we believe a few of the sessions might have been held in the theater, as Christian frescoes and symbols have been found inside the structure.”

Meric said this clearly demonstrates the theater’s religious use phase.

Touching on future projects, she said: “There are colonnaded galleries at the eastern and western entrances of the theater. We plan to restore these as well. The galleries were magnificent structures, often used for various activities and receptions.”

She emphasized that the ancient theater is a multi-layered monument that bears traces from every historical period of Iznik.

According to Meric, in addition to Roman-period materials, the team has also unearthed numerous artifacts from the Byzantine and Ottoman eras.

The Iznik Ancient Theater, notable for being the only structure in Anatolia built entirely on a flat surface using vaults without any slope support, stands three stories high and measures 102 by 79 meters (334 by 259 feet) with a height of 24 meters (78.7 feet).

Excavation and restoration work, which has been ongoing since the 1980s, culminated in the theater’s reopening to visitors in March 2024. Since then, the site has attracted nearly 90,000 domestic and foreign tourists.