Türkiye's third largest Odeon is coming to light

Faculty members of the Archaeology Department from Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKÜ) have been excavating in the region for two years.

The Odeon, which was unearthed during excavations carried out around the 1892-year-old fountain dedicated to Roman Emperor Hadrian in the city, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, will be one of the three largest odeons in Türkiye when completed.

Deputy Director of Excavations and MAKÜ Faculty Member Dr. Düzgün Tarkan said that every structure in ancient cities has its own value.

"A MULTI-PURPOSE BUILDING"

Stating that the odeon was found approximately four meters underground, Tarkan said:

"The Odeon in Sagalassos is a multi-purpose building where council meetings were held as well as musical performances."

"When it is revealed, along with the fountain and the square paved with small stone blocks, one of the city's liveliest spots will be brought to light."

Tarkan emphasized that some of the rows of seats were dismantled during the Byzantine period, but restoration can be done quickly thanks to existing examples.

Tarkan also stated that there was a large theater in the city with a capacity of 9,000-10,000 people, and based on this data, they estimated that the population of Sagalassos in ancient times was around 35,000-40,000.

Underlining that Sagalassos, one of the leading cities of the Pisidia Region, was the center of the emperor's cult in the 2nd century, Tarkan said that a small statue had recently been unearthed during excavations and that the artifact would be shared by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.