How to Explore Aspendos with Savings on Flights to Antalya

Located on the south-west coast of Anatolia, Antalya is a beautiful coastal city in Turkey and the capital of the Antalya Province. It is the largest city in the country on the Mediterranean coast and was first settled in the 2nd century BC by the Attalid dynasty. It was ruled by many great rulers in the past, such as the Romans and the Ottomans. In recent times, it has become one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in the country. Many tourists from various parts of the world arrive in this city to explore its fabulous offerings. Among them is Aspendos, which is a historical site located in the Antalya province.

The savings that you make by booking any of the flights to Antalya from London in advance can be used to explore this ancient site. It was a Greco-Roman city, which was a part of a former region called Pamphylia. It is located at a distance of about 40 kilometres east of the Antalya city. Some of the early research scholars believed that it was Azatiwada of Quwe who founded the city. However, it was later established that the city of Aspendos was founded by the Greeks. Although Aspendos had not played a significant role in the politics of the ancient world, it was a centre of cultural activities.

You can explore some of these ancient cultural sites with the savings made on flights to Antalya from London. In the 5th century BC, Aspendos came under the rule of the Persians but had continued to enjoy a great deal of freedom even under their rule. The city became a part of the Delian League after an Athenian statesman known as Cimon destroyed the Persian navy and took control over the region in the 4th century BC. The rule of Greeks over the city continued until the 2nd century BC when it was taken over by the Romans. It fell into a state of decline towards the end of the Roman rule and its condition didn't improve even during the Byzantine period.

Although many structures were destroyed in the centuries that followed, some have survived and continue to delight the history buffs even today. You can utilise the amount saved while booking flights to Antalya for exploring the offerings located at the ancient site of Aspendos. One of them is a well-preserved theatre, which has a diameter of 96 metres and can accommodate 12,000 individuals even today. It was built in the 1st century by a Greek architect known as Zenon, who was a native of the Aspendos city.

During the rule of Seljuk Sultans, this theatre was repaired and used as a resting place for the caravans. It was later converted to a palace in the 13th century. As the theatre was built according to the Hellenistic traditions, a small part of it leans against the hill where an Acropolis was constructed. The supporting columns of the Acropolis are still in place. An annual season of a ballet called the Aspendos International Opera and Ballet Festival is held in the ancient theatre during spring and early summer, which attracts many visitors to the site.

You can explore more attractions in the city with your cheap holidays to Antalya.

I'm Daisy, content strategist for Lowest2, which offers budget-friendly holiday packages to worldwide destinations. Much of my work involves writing on holidays of other popular destinations.