Colonnaded Galleries of the Roman Theater at Nicaea

Iznik, with its ancient name Nicaea, contributed to all civilizations that developed around it during and after antiquity, and became the social, political and economic center of the periods it witnessed. One of the buildings is the Roman Theater, which maintained its feature of being an attraction point during the Roman period. The first information about the construction phase of the theater, which was raised on a flat area of vaulted galleries, is taken from the letters written by Pliny the Younger, who was appointed as the governor of Bithynia, to Emperor Trajan in 111 AD. In the letters, it is mentioned that porticos were built with the donations of private individuals. The remains of porticos/colonnaded galleries located to the east and west of the scaenaee were unearthed during the recent excavations. The galleries date to the 2nd century AD and are identified as having two floors in Corinthian style. The first floor has been erected by postaments, conglomerate fluted smooth columns, Corinthian capitals, architraves made of gray local marble, conglomerate frieze, dendiculae, cornice, geison and sima. However, Attic- Ionic bases, columns made of white marble, Corinthian capitals, Hermae, parapets, architraves made of white/ yellow marble, cantilever frieze, cornice, geison, sima and pediments made of gray local marble are used on the second floor. The aim of this study is to analyze in detail the columned galleries, a similar example of which is not found in contemporary theaters

Art · Art history · Visual arts · Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Computer Science · Historical and Religious Studies of Rome