Bursa, İznik

İznik Theatre has a north-facing location within the city walls. It is built on flat land in the south west of the town and is elevated with a supporting wall with 38 arches. Rather than making use of a convenient slope, advanced Roman engineering knowledge is employed to build a structure on a flat piece of land, as is the case in the theatre of Side. In his letter to the Roman Emperor Trajan, Pliny, governor of the province of Bithynia from 111–113 AD, mentions a half-built theatre and the need for a great amount of money to complete its construction is emphasized.

Stones from the unfinished theatre are thought to have been used in restoration of the city walls.

The koilon of this theatre, enclosed by a supporting wall of 38 arches constructed on completely flat ground, has a gradient of 30 degrees and sits on a foundation of 38 semi bevelled cones placed side to side. The two-tiered theatre has 19 rows of seats in the first tier and 11 in the second.

The remains of the scena’s foundations and the barrel-vaulted passage entered from the left are sound. Judging by the depth of the auditorium it was used for gladiator fights.

The theatre has a seating capacity of approximately 4,000 people.