The ancient city of Aspendos is located very close to Side in the village of Belkis. Once in ancient times it was one of the richest cities in Turkey.
The ancient Roman theater has been preserved very well, currently various concerts are held here. The acoustics are simply gorgeous, it's a pity we didn't manage to get to the concert. Since all the sights of Aspendos are in the open air, it is better to come with water supplies and either early in the morning or after 3. We were after 3, there were practically no tourist groups. What is noteworthy is that a bus with a group arrived with us, and left before us. Judge for yourself, it is better to visit this place with an excursion or enjoy the views yourself. In addition to the majestic amphitheater, the ruins of the stadium, the basilica, and the gates have been preserved. We walked around the city for about 2 hours and got a pleasant impression, took a photo for memory. Be careful, tickets are paid, payment in lira, a child of 5 years is free.
The price, of course, is too high. About 1,800 lire was paid for three people. The Colosseum impresses with its scale and size. If you are afraid of heights, you may feel dizzy. The city itself occupies a fairly large area, so gather your strength and take water with you (there is nowhere to buy it, only at the entrance). Excavations are still underway on the territory of the city, it is interesting to see.
An interesting dive into history. It makes you wonder what will remain after our civilization ...
We came here on our own, without a tour group, so there was a lot of time for inspection. We walked all over the city. The amphitheater is certainly impressive, the views from the height are spectacular. December is a great time: it's not hot, quiet and not crowded.
We can safely say: "Every stone here is a witness to history, the sandals of the ancient Greeks and Romans trod on them." A huge territory, you can and should devote a whole day to the inspection.
A very interesting archaeological open-air museum. A large territory, many preserved antique arches, columns, galleries, an amphitheater. Definitely worth a visit!
A great ancient city, there is something to see, I liked it. I recommend a trip here, it's a good place
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Ольга
Level 16 Local Expert
December 29, 2024
It's a very cool place to visit not on a guided tour, but on your own. Then you can wander through the ruins of the city for a long time, enjoy the atmosphere. The amphitheater is gorgeous. If you are in Aspendos, do not be lazy to walk to the site, which offers views of the aqueduct and the surrounding area. Very beautiful.
The more I visit cities like Aspendos, the more I am convinced how much builders and engineers were in demand in the ancient world.
Even with current technologies, calculating and building structures that are thousands of years old is not the easiest task, but the Romans and Greeks found solutions to these problems, sometimes very ingenious.
Visit there - you will not regret it!
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7
Наталья
Level 24 Local Expert
October 13, 2023
Aspendos is an amazing ancient place located in Turkey. Visiting it, I was amazed by its rich history and cultural heritage. The archaeological finds here are impressive, especially the Aspendos Amphitheater, one of the best preserved ancient amphitheaters in the world, is known. Combined with scenic views of nature and the Mediterranean coast, a trip to Aspendos becomes a unique experience for historical and cultural travelers. This is a place where you can feel a connection with a long past era and enjoy the magnificent architecture
It's very unusual and beautiful. I like to look at the history of the ancient world. I like to go to such places.
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S
Sergey P. K.
Level 22 Local Expert
January 6
It's hard to describe in words - to see something that was built in the mountains in a seismically active zone and has stood for 2,000 years is simply impressive. And the basilica, which is as tall as a modern multi-storey building and has been standing for more than 1,500 years without human repair! They used to be able to build
We drove to it for a long time, but could not get there, payment was accepted only in euros or a bank.with cards, our cards do not work in Turkey, and there were no euros, we had to go back
They were at the end of February 2023. The place is interesting, a beautiful amphitheater, many interesting buildings. There are few people in the off-season, which allows you to quietly explore everything without hurrying. We came from Antalya in a rented car. We visited Aspendos and Termesos at one time.
The entrance to the ancient city is located near the amphitheater, as previously written, the entrance fee is 340 lire per person. It's totally worth it and I recommend everyone to visit this place!
Beautiful ancient ruins, it's amazing how well communications and buildings were implemented with engineering precision , it's hard to believe that it was thousands of years ago.