Aydin has more than one ancient city within its borders. Therefore, it attracts the attention of thousands of domestic and foreign tourists every year. The ancient city of Nysa, located in the Sultanhisar district of Aydın, is one of the best historical places to visit. Many important and remarkable historical buildings in the city attract thousands of tourists every year, thanks to its many features such as the city’s magnificent harmony with nature.
This district is approximately 30 km away from Aydin province. The founding date of the ancient city is approximately BC. It is said to date back to the 6th century. The ancient city of Nysa is located on the southern slopes of the Aydin Mountains. Established around the Tepecik creek, the city consists of two separate cities. Connections between cities are provided by three bridges built between two cities.
Nysa Ancient City
- Library:The construction date of the ancient city library is approximately BC. It is known to date back to the 2nd century. There is more than one historical library in Anatolia. Nysa Ancient City Library is also the best preserved library among these libraries. The Nysa Ancient City Library, also known as the second oldest library, was built by Emperor Hadrian. It is built structurally very similar to the Ephesus Ancient City Library. Only the remnants of the first two floors of the structure, many parts of which are deformed, have survived to the present day. As a result of the archaeological researches and some investigations, it is said that this building had a two or three storey structure at the time. Although the floor coverings are deformed, it is known that colored tiles were used for the floors thanks to some of the remains that have survived to the present day.
- Theatre: The history of the Nysa Ancient City Theater dates back to BC. and is thought to have been built in the 1st century. It is thought to have been built during the Young Hellenistic Period. The magnificent building, built on a very large area, has a large capacity of 12.000 people. It is among the best preserved structures of the Nysa Ancient City. There are many relief paintings on the extremely large stage area. These reliefs are very well preserved until today. The reliefs belong to the god known as Bacchus or Dionysus, who is called the god of wine. Not only the relief paintings, but also the stage structure are in a very well preserved condition. At the same time, next to the building, there is also a theater building, which was thought to be a 2-storey building in the early days.
- Agora: Which is the market place, has a very large area extending in the north and south directions. There are colonnaded porticos on all four sides of the Agora. It is surrounded by double-row columns in the north and east, and single-row columns in the south and west. The Agora architectural structure is visited by many people with interest due to its striking columns and the large area it covers.
- Gymnasium and Basilicas: Gymnasium is one of the most important structures, especially in ancient cities. The building, which was built towards the middle of the 2nd century, has quite large dimensions. At the other end of the Nysa Ancient City Gymnasium, a large part of which is underground, there is a bath as a complement. There is also a large cistern in the middle of the building. Basilicas are located in the bazaar part of the Nysa Ancient City. These are called bazaar Basilicas. It is located in the southeast of the area where the theater is located. The path is discovered by the title that appears during expansion. Basilicas, which have a very important place for archeology, are studied with interest by many people.
