Archaeologists have fully uncovered a 2,000-year-old Roman swimming pool at the ancient city of Tralleis (Greek: Τράλλης) in modern-day western Turkey, exposing one of the largest bathing structures found at the site.
The rectangular pool measures 37 metres (121 feet) long and 12 metres (39 feet) wide. Researchers estimate it could have accommodated about 300 people at a time, underscoring the importance of public bathing and recreation in the ancient city.
The pool forms part of a bath-gymnasium complex covering about 40,000 square metres (430,500 square feet) near the modern city of Aydın. Professor Murat Çekilmez of Aydın Adnan Menderes University leads excavations.
Archaeologists first began uncovering the pool during the previous excavation season. They completed the excavation this year after removing the remaining layers of soil and debris. The fully exposed structure now allows researchers to examine its layout, construction, and role within one of Tralleis’ most important public buildings.
Pool reflects a Greek tradition adopted by Rome
Researchers identified the structure as a natatio, a cold-water swimming pool commonly found in Roman bath complexes. Visitors used these pools to swim or cool down after spending time in heated bathing rooms.
The pool stood beside the city’s gymnasium, an institution that originated in ancient Greece. Greek gymnasia served as centers for physical training, education, and civic life. The Romans later expanded this tradition by combining gymnasia with large public bath complexes throughout the eastern Mediterranean.
Archaeologists have fully uncovered a 2,000-year-old public swimming pool at the ancient Greek city of Tralleis in western Türkiye.
The massive Roman-era natatio measured 37 meters (121 ft) long, held around 300 people and featured an advanced aqueduct and drainage system. pic.twitter.com/bFk57Z52Db
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) July 16, 2026
The Tralleis pool is about 1.5 metres (5 feet) deep. Çekilmez described it as “Olympic” in scale for the ancient world because of its exceptional size and its likely connection with organized athletic training. Researchers said the comparison refers to the pool’s remarkable dimensions for antiquity rather than the size of a modern Olympic swimming pool.
The pool appears to have served both ordinary bathers and students training in the adjoining gymnasium. Çekilmez estimates that between 3,000 and 5,000 people may have passed through the bath-gymnasium complex each day. Young athletes trained there before representing Tralleis in competitions across the ancient world.
Roman engineers built an advanced water system
The excavation has also uncovered parts of the sophisticated system that supplied and maintained the pool.
Researchers found that spring water reached the complex through an aqueduct stretching about 56 kilometres (35 miles) from the mountains north of the city. They also uncovered drainage channels that allowed the pool to be emptied quickly, cleaned and refilled once the water became dirty.
Researchers believe the pool remained open to the sky rather than being covered by a roof, making it an ideal place to cool off during the hot summers of western Anatolia.
The combination of long-distance water transport, controlled water flow and efficient drainage demonstrates the advanced engineering that supported one of the city’s busiest public spaces. After conservation and restoration are completed, the excavation team plans to refill the ancient pool with water as part of Türkiye’s Heritage for the Future programme.
Greek foundations shaped the city’s development
Tralleis stands on a plateau overlooking the fertile Büyük Menderes Valley near modern Aydın. Ancient traditions trace the city’s foundation to Greek settlers from Argos and Thracian tribes.
After Alexander the Great captured the city in 334 BCE, Tralleis became part of the Hellenistic kingdoms that emerged following his death. It later came under Roman rule and developed into an important regional center because of its strategic position along major trade and communication routes.
The city became renowned for its skilled Greek sculptors during the Hellenistic period and continued to prosper under the Roman Empire. Its bath-gymnasium reflected the lasting influence of Greek educational traditions while incorporating the monumental bathing facilities that became a hallmark of Roman urban life.
The complex suffered heavy damage in an earthquake in 26 BCE but was rebuilt with support from Emperor Augustus. During the Early Roman Imperial period, Tralleis was temporarily renamed Caesarea in recognition of that assistance.
Today, the site’s best-known monument is the three-arched gateway, locally known as Üçgözler, or “Three Eyes.” Archaeologists have also uncovered a marble-paved street, an agora, a theater, a stadium, temples, houses, churches, and extensive burial grounds across the ancient city.
Discovery offers new insight into public life
The newly uncovered swimming pool adds an important chapter to the history of Tralleis. It shows how Greek traditions of education and athletic training blended with Roman engineering and public bathing culture.
Together, they created a monumental civic complex that served thousands of residents and illustrates daily life in one of western Anatolia’s most prosperous ancient cities nearly 2,000 years ago.
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