Miletus - Theater

The best-preserved and therefore most prominent structure in the ancient city of Miletus is the Roman theater which with its 140m/460ft long facade and a circuit of almost 500m/1,640ft round the semi-circular auditorium is a visible symbol of the city's former greatness and also reminiscent of some of the greatest Roman buildings in Italy. Greeks, Romans and Byzantines all played their part in its construction.

An earlier Greek theater was replaced in Trajan's time (A.D. second century) by a Roman theater which was enlarged in the third and fourth century giving it a total capacity of 25,000 spectators. The theater was lavishly decorated with a facing of multi-colored marble. The seating in white, the 34m/112ft orchestra and the stage itself were all finished in marble. In the middle of the lowest tier of seating stood the Imperial box, with a canopy borne on columns. The stage had three rows of columns in red, black and white marble and was decorated with numerous statues. The acoustics were said to be excellent.