An ancient Roman stadium with a capacity of 30,000 people has been restored after 78 years of archaeological excavations at the ancient Roman city of Perge in Antalya, southern Turkey, which was once a thriving city in the Pamphylia region.
Excavations at the site, which began in 1946, have brought to light innumerable details about the history of this city, which dates back to the early Bronze Age and was founded between two rivers some 11 km from the coast, with the present-day city of Antalya as its main port. It was one of the most developed cities during the Roman Empire and was famous for its worship of the goddess Artemis. The city’s marble sculptures, but also its thermal baths, theatre, monumental fountains, colonnaded avenue and stadium are of particular note. It has been a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage Site status since 2009.
As part of the work on its ruins, repair and restoration work has recently been completed on the city’s ancient stadium, which had 30,000 seats. The head of the excavations in Perge, Sedef Çokay Kepçe, a professor at Istanbul University’s Department of Archaeology, explained that the Antalya Archaeological Museum exhibits many of the sculptures and monuments found in recent decades in Perge, where evidence of settlement dating back to the fifth millennium B.C. has been found.
“The excavation work started in the stadium, and under the guidance of the museum, we were able to complete it this year. We have brought to light an area of the stadium for 5,000 people… Now, we will gradually extend the excavation work to other areas of the stadium, which sits on vaults: we want to empty the earth that fills them, and return the stadium to the city as a new structure,” said Kepçe.
“Above all, in the middle of the stadium, square stone blocks with holes in them stand out. These blocks are also sometimes found in theatres. We believe that these blocks were used for fights with wild animals (venatio),” said the expert when talking about the archaeological findings in Perge. “At the same time, we want to continue excavations within the area of the Roman stadium structure. We want the stadium to be finished this year,” she announced.
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Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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