According to old legends, the ancient city of Aspendos was founded right after the Trojan War. Having learned their lesson about attacks from the sea the hard way, residents of coastal towns didn’t want to inhabit the seaside any longer. Aspendos became one of the first ancient cities to be built far away from the sea, the whole 16 kilometres away, in fact. To this day there is no consensus on the founder of the place. Some historians believe that it was a famous Greek diviner Mopsus, while others think that the city was founded by Polypoites, one of beautiful Helen’s admirers. Whoever it was, they’ve done a fine job considering that the ruins of the city remain intact to this day.

However, the greatest contribution to the development of the city came from ancient Romans. That's when Aspendos reached its prime and was among the largest cities in the world. The waters of the Eurymedon River (now Köprüçay river) provided necessary moisture to the fertile land, and its harbour served to protect the land from unwanted guests. Olive groves and vineyards made Aspendos famous outside its immediate surroundings. Its horses were valued all over the Ancient world. The city even produced its own silver coins. It was then that a giant Roman amphitheatre was built, luxuriously decorated with sculptures and reliefs depicting the Roman lifestyle. The ruins of the theatre remain the true pride of Aspendos to this day, along with its medieval stone bridge of the 8th century.

Unfortunately, under Byzantine rule, the city lost its grandeur due to constant Arab raids, it had been looted several times and almost completely demolished. It was only with the arrival of Seljuks to the city, that the repair of Aspendos and its architectural gem, the Roman amphitheatre, began. Today, the ancient construction continues to amaze its guests with its imposing size. Designed to fit 17 thousand spectators, with a five-tiered ornate facade and three entrances with Greek and Latin inscriptions, the amphitheatre makes a lasting impression. Everything was constructed to ensure an excellent acoustic, richly decorated with Corinthian columns and even a sculpture of Dionysus, the god of wine and theatre.