Sagalassos Archaeological Site

Address: Sagalassos archaeological site, Ağlasun district, Burdur Province, Turkey

Website: https://www.sagalassos.org

Sagalassos is an extensive archaeological site in Burdur Province, southwestern Turkey, noted for a well-preserved Greco-Roman cityscape on a high mountain plateau. The site is important for the survival of monumental public buildings, streets and sculptural decoration from the Hellenistic and Roman periods.

The remains include a large Roman theatre, a monumental colonnaded agora, temples, baths and an elaborate nymphaeum, all set across terraced levels on the hillside. Stone streets, houses and civic monuments are well preserved and many buildings show marble facing and architectural sculpture dating to the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.

Sagalassos developed in the Hellenistic period and expanded under the Roman Empire, reaching its main prosperity in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. The city declined and was largely abandoned during the later Roman and early Byzantine centuries after a combination of economic change and seismic events.

The ruins sit on a high plateau in the Taurus foothills near the modern settlement of Ağlasun in Burdur Province. The site is reached from provincial roads and sits in a mountain landscape of rocky terraces and forested slopes.

• Long-running Belgian excavations: Excavations at the site have been led by a Belgian archaeological team since the early 1990s, producing extensive publications and conservation work.
• High-elevation site: The ruins sit at high altitude on a Taurus foothill plateau, around 1,500 metres above sea level, which makes access seasonal in winter.

What to See#

• Roman theatre: A large Roman theatre and stage building located on a terrace of the site, preserving substantial seating and architectural stonework from the Imperial period.
• Agora and public quarter: A monumental colonnaded agora and market area with surrounding shops and civic buildings that date mainly to the Roman and late Hellenistic phases.
• Antonine Nymphaeum and fountains: The Antonine Nymphaeum and several monumental fountains and baths that showcase marble revetment and sculptural decoration from the 2nd century AD.

Sagalassos sits above the small town of Ağlasun in Burdur Province and is reached by road. From the provincial capital Burdur (and from other regional centres) drive or take a local minibus to Ağlasun, then follow the paved mountain road up from the town to the archaeological site; there is parking by the site and a short uphill walk from the road to the excavations. Local taxis or organised day tours from Burdur or nearby cities are the usual way to reach the ruins if you do not have a car.

• Visit Sagalassos early in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the midday heat and to get the best light for the site's dramatic mountain views and the exposed stonework of the theatre and agora.
• Approach the site from the nearby town of Ağlasun (the usual access point) and use the main car park/ticket area so you can follow the marked trails; the ruins are spread out, so plan a clockwise route to avoid backtracking.
• Don't miss the panoramic viewpoints above the upper agora and theatre-many visitors concentrate on the lower excavations and skip the terraces, which give the clearest sense of the site's scale and setting among the Taurus foothills.