TRTHABER

With the permission of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, excavations at the Roman Theater, where work first began in 1980, have been carried out since 2015 by a team led by the Department of Archaeology at Dokuz Eylül University, following the involvement of the Metropolitan Municipality. (TRTHABER)
 

The theater, which for a time also hosted gladiatorial combats, was used as a religious site after theatrical performances were banned following the advent of Christianity. Damaged and subsequently repaired after the major earthquakes of 358, 362, and 368, the structure was ultimately sacrificed for the defense of Nicaea, with materials dismantled from the theater being used to reinforce the city walls. (TRTHABER)