Restoration Completed in 1800-Year-Old Iznik Roman Theater

Following the completion of restoration works led by the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, the theater built in the 2nd century by the historian and writer Pliny, who was the governor of Bithynia under the Roman Emperor Trajan, has reopened for visits in İznik district of Bursa.

According to the statement from the Metropolitan Municipality, İznik, founded in 316 BC by Antigonus Monophthalmus, one of the commanders of Alexander the Great, contains traces of the Bithynian, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman civilizations in every corner.

The Iznik Roman Theater, whose excavation works have been ongoing since 2015 under the sponsorship of the Metropolitan Municipality, stands as one of the most magnificent remains of the Roman period in Anatolia.

Being the only example in Turkey in terms of architecture due to its construction on a flat area and elevation with vaults, the theater was built by the Roman Emperor Trajan for Pliny, the historian, and writer who served as the governor of Bithynia.

Hosting gladiator fights at one point, the theater was later used as a religious space following the advent of Christianity. Due to damage from major earthquakes in 358, 362, and 368, the historic structure underwent repairs.

Excavations at the İznik Roman Theater, which initially began with permission from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 1980, continued under the leadership of the Department of Archaeology at Dokuz Eylül University since 2015, with the involvement of the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality.

The theater has now been reopened for visits, reintroducing it to tourism.