The amphitheatre at Pergamon (Photo: Emily O'Dell)
Taking a rest in Pamukkale (Photo: Emily O'Dell)
Now as we keep our watch and wait the final day,
count no man happy till he dies, free of pain at last.
– Chorus, Oedipus Rex
Not many people realize just how many ancient amphitheatres are scattered throughout the Middle East, yet the performance of ancient drama goes back millennia in this region. As a playwright and archaeologist, I’ve been trying for the past several years to visit as many of these ancient amphitheatres as I can…
Exploring Ephesus (Photo: Emily O'Dell)
Amphitheatre at Myra (Photo: Emily O'Dell)
The theatres pictured in these photographs are all found in Turkey–and they’re all worth seeing. The photo at the top of this post was taken at Pergamon in what is considered to the steepest ancient amphitheatre in Turkey (and perhaps the world?). In fact, some of my fellow travelers found the steep incline was too dangerous to go explore the seats of the theatre–and its picturesque view…
The second photo was taken at the Roman amphitheater of Hierapolis (which has 12,000-seats!), and it’s not to be missed if you’re visiting the stunning “cotton” hot springs of Pamukkale.
The photo to the left was taken at Ephesus–where rioters long ago protested against Paul and Christianity–screaming, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” (Acts 19:21-40). Every time I’m passing through that theatre, I can’t help but also think of all the drama that unfolded at the Council of Ephesus…
The amphitheatre at Aspendos (Photo: Emily O'Dell)
Whenever I bring travelers to see the ruins at Myra–where St. Nicolas (i.e. Santa–who came from Turkey) lived in the 4th century CE–we also visit the amphitheater at Myra (left)–which was the largest amphitheater in Lycia.
The last two photos were taken in the spectacular amphitheater of Aspendos, where there’s an Opera and Ballet Festival held every year. As you can see, the upper gallery of the amphitheater is almost completely intact, as is the wall behind the stage–which is why many consider it the best-preserved theatre from antiquity.
What I love about these amphitheatres–among many things–is how they are shaped by the landscape, and how they themselves transform the landscape.
Passionate about both archaeology and theatre, I always feel right at home whenever I gaze at the stage from the steep stairs of these amphitheatres, and take a seat–imagining the tragic dramas performed in the ancient Mid-East…
Just send me home. You bear your burdens,
I’ll bear mine. It’s better that way,
please believe me.
-– Tiresias, Oedipus Rex
Aspendos (Photo: Emily O'Dell)
