We walk from the Harbor Street, known as the King’s Way, towards the Ephesus Antique Theater. As we approach it, the enormous size and the glory show itself. I told you that the Great Theater of Ephesus Antique City, located on the western slope of Panayırdağ, placed through the west, the direction of the harbor. Thus, one of the biggest and most important constructions of the city, the Great Theater can be seen from a very distance by the boat coming to the port or the ship. The theater was built in the Hellenistic period, using the natural rock structure of the slate as an infrastructure. It was very important for the urban infrastructure because of its functions like the urban focal point and the place of the parliament. With the 24,000-seat capacity, Ephesus Antique Theater built during the Hellenistic period is one of the eye-catchers works of Ephesus. The theater is also the best preserved of Ephesus ruins and the largest area with a diameter of 150 meters.
The theater was built using the slope of the Panayir Mountain. It was built for the first time in the Lysimakhos Period and later underwent various changes. The theater is composed of three main sections. These; the stage structure, the area called the orchestra, and the cover sections where the audience is located. The stage building, which was about 18 meters high, was the most spectacular place. This was mostly done with three floors and columns with emphasis on the inner ceiling which was directed towards the audience. There were sculptures in the triangular and half-rounded niches behind the columns.
The ground floor, which is still in a solid state, consists of an entrance extending in the north-south direction and eight rooms lined up to the west.
During the Roman Empire, many gladiatorial fights took place in this theater. The building has served countless meetings outside the theater and gladiatorial fights. During the Byzantine period, part of the stage building lost its function when it was added to the city walls and started to be used as a watchtower. The Ephesus Antique Theater has been restored and hosted the Ephesus Festival for a while, where many celebrities have been given concerts. However, it is not used for concerts today because the high decibel sounds in the concerts will cause damage to the structures. When you look at the rear seats of this magnificent building on the façade of the Panayir Mountain, Harbor Street as well as the old port basin show itself in all its splendor.