Theatre

The Great Theater is one of the most dramatic and impressive sights in Ephesus. It is included in the list of sacred destinations because of its biblical significance: this is the place where St. Paul preached against the pagans. It was also the most important meeting place in the social and cultural life of the city.

Construction of the Great Theater of Ephesus may have begun during Hellenistic times: the marshal of Alexander the Great, Lysimachus (d.281 BC) is traditionally credited with building the theater, but there is no archaeological evidence for its existence before 100 BC. However, Lysimachus may have chosen the building site and begun the preparation of the site, a process that required 60 years of digging in the mountainside.

The theater rises 30m high with the diameter of 145 m. and has the capacity od 25,000 seats. There are magnificent views from the top. . The audience was facing the stage and then the harbour at the background.
The original theater was built during the Hellenistic ages. Later it was enlarged in size during Emperor Cladius (41-54 A.D.) and completed during Emperor Traian (98-117 A.D.). Initially it has only one storey, small stage section was modified and made much bigger during the Roman ages. The stage was a three storey construction. There were 8 rooms and a corridor on each floor. The ground floor had an entrance to the podium and a hidden access corridor to the orchestra place under the ground.

The first two floors of the stage were built by Roman Emperor Neron (54-68 A.D.). The third floor was added to the theater during the 2nd century. The final form of the stage was not been modified since then. The stage is a 25 x 40m. decorated with columns and statues of gods, goddesses and emperors on the outside.

There was an altar (sacrifice place) in the middle of the stage podium. This altar was used to offer sacrifices to Dionysus and making ceremonies. The audience used to access to the the theater from the marble road through the stairs without interfering the stage building.
The players used to perform at the same place with orchestra members during the Hellenistic ages. This has changed during the Roman Age and they started to perform at the extended place in front of the orchestra. The plays started in the early morning and continue until midnight most of the time. The audience was charged an entrance fee.

During the Roman Age the theater was also used for gladiator fights involving wild animals.

Earthquakes damaged the theater in the 4th century, after which it was only partially repaired. By the 8th century, the theater was incorporated into the city defense system.

In the 1st century AD, the Apostle Paul spent over three years in Ephesus preaching the Gospel. And according to the Acts of the Apostles (19:23-41), the theater was the site of the "riot of the silversmiths" in which those who made silver figures of Artemis rioted because Paul's preaching was bad for business:

Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia, and rushed as one man into the theater. Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater. The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.... (Acts 19:29-31)

Today, the theater is restored and is put to use every May during the Selcuk Ephesus Festival of Culture and Art.