Colosseum-style combat arena unearthed in Turkish olive grove

A ROMAN amphitheatre which would have hosted gladiator contests has been discovered in Turkey after lying hidden for centuries.

The huge site, similar in structure to the Colosseum in Rome, remained undetected because it is mostly buried underground.

The arena, which could seat around 20,000 spectators, was found near the ancient city of Mastaura in the western province of Aydin, inland from the Aegean coast.

It is believed to have been constructed 1,800 years ago and would have hosted gladiatorial contests as well as fights involving wild animals.

The stone arches that formed the outer walls of the amphitheatre are visible but most of the structure is buried under centuries of soil deposits and covered in olive and fig trees.

“This might be the only arena preserved in its entirety here in Turkey,” Mehmet Umut Tuncer, the head of tourism and culture in Aydin province, told the Turkish press. “The basic outline is visible now and we plan to unearth more this spring.”

Archeologists have found traces of chambers where gladiators would have prepared to enter the arena as well as areas for entertaining special guests.

The amphitheatre dates to around AD200 when the Roman Empire was ruled by the Severan dynasty of emperors, which was founded by Septimius Severus, who was born in the Roman colony of Leptis Magna in what is now Libya. He led a military expedition to Britain in 208 and died of illness in York three years later.

The stone arena was built at a time when the city of Mastaura was becoming increasingly wealthy. Local people, as well as visitors from the surrounding region, would have flocked to the amphitheatre to see gladiatorial fights and spectacles involving animals.

It was similar in design but smaller than the Colosseum in Rome, which could hold around 50,000 spectators.

The hidden remains of the amphitheatre were found last summer after archeologists followed clues left in records that were written by travellers who explored the region 200 years ago.

“When European travellers came to visit Anatolia in the 18th century, they also visited Mastaura and shared information about it,” Sedat Akkurnaz, the head of the excavation, said.

Archeologists have also discovered cisterns, graves and a mill, suggesting there were other, smaller settlements in the area.