Theatre of Magnesia on the Meander

The Theatron of Magnesia was an ancient Roman theatre located in the city of Magnesia, in Asia Minor, Turkey. It should not be confused with the theatre of Magnesia, situated a little further north.

It is assumed that the theatre was built at the beginning of the Roman period, in the 1st century AD, but it appears to have remained unfinished. This could have been due to, for example, poor soil or landslides. The exact purpose of the building is unknown, so in the study it is only known by the generic name theatron, ‘the place to watch’.

It was situated in the southern part of the walled enclosure of the city, with a width of about 70 meters and an orchestra of about 30 m in diameter. The capacity was estimated at about 4,700 people.

The building was excavated in 1984.