Alinda (Karpuzlu)

ALINDA (Karpuzlu), ancient Caria (Asia Minor), moder Turkey.

COORDINATES: 37º33'31.73" N // 27º49'37.14" E
TIPOLOGY : Greek theatre. Urban.

DATE: End III B.C. or early II B.C.

TRANSFORMATIONS: Roman Scaenae Frons early I A.D.

CAPACITY: 3.500 espectators.

CAVEA: Facing. Rest on steep slope, more than a semicircle. 69,7 m. diameter. maenianum. Ima cavea: 9 cunei and 12 steps. Summa cavea: 11 cunei and 12 steps.

ORCHESTRA: 18 m. diameter.

STAGE BUILDING: The hellenistic stage was stage building was 30x11,5 m., but was demolished in Augustan time and was built a new building with a two storeys scaenae frons with three doors.

LOCATION: Alinda ancient city is just up of modern Karpuzlu, a little village 55 km. south from Aydin.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Sear, Frank; “Roman theatres: an architectural study”. Oxford University Press, 2006. // Ciancio Rossetto, Paola; Giuseppina Pisani Sartorio (eds); Teatri Greci e Romani: alle origini del linguaggio rappresentato. Rome: SEAT, 1995. // Bean, George; “Turkey beyond the Maeander”. London, Ernst Benn, 1971. // Yilmaz, Yasar; “Anadolu Antik Tiyatrolari”. Istanbul, Yem Yanin, 2010.

OUT OF PRINT: First time I visited Alinda I found some ancient villagers harvesting the olives from the olive trees, shaking branches. That´s now Alinda´s ancient theatre, not spectators, only an olive grove; nature redefines the natural utility of theatre... an absolutely marvellous place.