ISTANBUL, July 13 (Xinhua) -- A 2,000-year-old ancient theater in northwestern Türkiye is scheduled to open for tourism by the end of 2023, semi-official Anadolu Agency reported Thursday.
The theater, which has a capacity of 10,000 people, was built in the second century during the reign of Roman Emperor Trajan in modern-day Iznik district of Bursa Province for gladiatorial fights and religious purposes.
The theater was damaged in several earthquakes in the past. Archaeological excavations at the theater have been sponsored by the Bursa municipality since 2015, Anadolu said.
Aygun Ekin Meric, an assistant professor of archaeology at Izmir's Dokuz Eylul University, said the ancient theater was one of the rare structures built on a flat area and raised with vaults, without revealing the size of an area the theater covers.
His team also discovered ceramics during the excavations, according to Anadolu. ■
