Laodikeia batı tiyatrosu

Abstract

Laodicea's West Theather Laodicea is located at the crossroads of West, Central, and South Anatolia and the west border of Phrygia. The city has two theaters—West and North. The North Theater, especially in the Roman Imperial period with the increase in the city’s population and wealth, reflects the importance given to culture and art. However, these two theaters lost their importance rapidly in Late Antiquity as in the entire ancient world. The West Theater was built on hewn, natural ground. For this reason the structure has suffered from earthquakes more heavily. On the other hand, by the usage of theater as a stone and lime quarry, destruction was started beginning from 7. C. A.D. The West Theater was the earliest theater of Laodiceia, dated to the Hellenistic period and designed as a small marble theater with a single cavea. However, the theater was expanded with a travertine cavea joint to the upper part depending on the population of the city. At the Hellenistic phase of theater, the proedriae (complimentary seats) were surrounding the Orchestra which later had been deepened in Roman Imperial Period.