History of Bodrum Antique Theatre

The Theatre at Halicarnassus, also known as the Bodrum Antique Theatre or simply Antique Theatre, is a theatre building located in Bodrum, Turkey. Positioned north of Bodrum's city center, it is considered one of the oldest theatres in Anatolia and stands as the only structure surviving from classical ancient Bodrum.

The construction of the theatre is attributed to the reign of the Carian Satrap Mausolos during the 4th century BC in Classical Antiquity. The structure is considered to be built in a style similar to the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus.

The ancient theatre was enlarged and took its current form around the 2nd century AD during the Roman era. These alterations marked a significant transition from its original Classical Greek foundation into a Greco-Roman architectural style.

With a cavea width of 86 meters and an orchestra diameter of 18 meters, the theatre originally had a seating capacity ranging from 10,000 to 13,000 people.

In the cavea section, a distance of 40 centimeters is left between each seat. The theatre features a total of 55 rows, divided into 30 on the lower section and 25 on the upper section, with the seating rows separated vertically by 11 stairways into 12 sections.

Among the interesting features of the theatre is an altar where sacrifices were made in honor of Dionysus prior to performances. Additionally, there are holes between some of the seats, which may have possibly been used for sunshades or canopies.

The theatre underwent renovations during the 1970s by a group of Turkish individuals and was renovated twice during the 1970s and 1990s by Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Its latest restoration was carried out through the collaboration of the Bodrum Municipality, Ericsson, and Turkcell.

Today, the Antique Theatre is actively used to host numerous cultural events in Bodrum, such as the Bodrum International Ballet Festival and concerts by various Turkish and international artists, operating with a seating capacity of 10,000 people.