Archaeologists are bringing a nearly 2,000-year-old street back to life at the ancient Greek city of Aspendos (Greek: Ἄσπενδος) in modern-day Turkey.
The stone-paved route once connected the city’s acropolis with its famous ancient theater. Researchers have uncovered about 300 meters, or nearly 1,000 feet, of the road as part of a major excavation and restoration project.
Known as Theatre Street, the route served as one of Aspendos’ main urban corridors during the Roman period. Its recovery is helping archaeologists reconstruct how people moved through a city shaped by both Greek and Roman culture.
Excavations at the site in Antalya have continued since 2022 under the direction of Mustafa Bilgin of Afyon Kocatepe University. The work forms part of Turkey’s Heritage for the Future initiative.
Ancient street reconnects the city
Theatre Street linked the Roman theater with the acropolis, the elevated center of political, religious and public life. The acropolis had roots in Aspendos’ earlier Greek history. The road later became part of the city’s expanded Roman urban plan.
Archaeologists uncovered public buildings, houses, shops and a monumental gate along the route. They also found a well-preserved bakery that offers new evidence about food production and daily life.
The bakery’s layout may help researchers understand how bread was prepared and distributed. Its location also suggests the street supported both commercial and residential activity. The discoveries show that Theatre Street was not simply a ceremonial route. It was a busy part of the city where residents lived, worked and traded.
Roman engineering survives for centuries
Researchers also uncovered a mosaic-decorated building in the city’s Eastern Square. Beneath the road, they found a sewage channel about 1 meter (3.3 feet) deep. The street itself measures between 3 and 5 meters, or 10 to 16 feet, wide.
Archaeologists have revived a nearly 2,000-year-old street in the ancient Greek city of Aspendos. The stone-paved route once linked the Greek acropolis with the city's famous Roman theater, revealing new clues about trade, engineering and everyday life. pic.twitter.com/sNgZdHeudb
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) July 21, 2026
Roman builders carefully adjusted the road to the natural slope of the land. Archaeologists believe that construction helped the paving stones survive earthquakes and centuries of environmental damage.
The drainage system also shows the level of planning behind Aspendos’ streets. It allowed wastewater to move beneath one of the city’s busiest areas without disrupting activity above ground.
Finds reveal Mediterranean trade
Other discoveries point to Aspendos’ wider commercial connections. Archaeologists recovered a Phoenician coin and locally made glass perfume bottles from shops and a nearby stoa, or covered walkway.
The finds suggest merchants in Aspendos traded with communities across the eastern Mediterranean, including areas in present-day Syria and Palestine. Researchers also identified the city’s eastern necropolis beyond the main gate.
A tomb dating to the Classical Greek period shows that the cemetery was already in use by the late fifth century BCE. That places burial activity at the site centuries before many of Aspendos’ best-known Roman monuments were built.
Greek roots meet Roman expansion
Aspendos developed as an important Greek city in ancient Pamphylia before coming under Roman control. Its location near major trade routes helped it grow into a prosperous regional center. Greek traditions continued even as Roman authorities reshaped the city with roads, public buildings, and monumental architecture.
The Roman theater remains Aspendos’ most famous structure. It is considered one of the best-preserved theaters from the ancient world and continues to host cultural events. The newly restored street adds another layer to the city’s story.
Once work is complete, visitors are expected to walk along Theatre Street from the theater toward the acropolis.
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