Great Theatre

At the eastern end of Harbour St is the Great Theatre, reconstructed by the Romans between AD 41 and AD 117. The first theatre on the site dated from the Hellenistic city of Lysimachus, and many features of the original building were incorporated into the Roman structure, including the ingenious design of the cavea (seating area), capable of holding 25,000 people.

Each successive range of seating up from the stage is pitched more steeply than the one below, thereby improving the view and acoustics for spectators in the upper seats.Among other modifications, the Romans enlarged the stage, pitched it towards the audience and built a three-storey decorative stage wall behind it, further improving the acoustics. The Great Theatre is still (sometimes controversially) used for performances.

Behind the Great Theatre, Mt Panayır rears up, with a few traces of the ruined city walls of Lysimachus.