amphitheatre travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises spa and resorts

The ancient city of Ephesus (Turkish: Efes), located near the Aegean Sea in modern day Turkey, was one of the great cities of the Greeks in Asia Minor. Ephesus, located 600km (373 miles) southwest of Istanbul, is one of the grandest and best-preserved ruins of the ancient world. According to evidence dating from around 1400 BC, the Hittites were the first to settle the site, which they named Apasas.
From the entrance at the Eastern gate of the city, there is the Eastern Agora, Odeon, the Temple of Domitianus, Polio Fountain, Trajan Fountain, Scolastica Bath, hillside houses, the Temple of Hadrianus, Celsus Library, Lower Agora, Marbled Street, Grand Theater, Arcadianus Avenue and the Church of the Virgin Mary. Near Ephesus is the house of the Virgin Mary.

The archaeological probes launch in 19 century in Efes. With searching the wreckages of the Temple of Artemida. At this the first parts of the ancient city are being struck. After the ending of 19 century major austrian antiquaries from the austrian archaeological institute hold ruins and unveil huge parts of the city, largely public buildings, but Large private homes, between that so called “houses of the southern dim hill brae” in which worthwhile tessellations are being found.

One of the most amazing ruins in Efes is the huge amphitheatre with a 24.000 seat capacity and superb acoustic effects. The ruins also include a gymnasium, agora and baths, as well as the Library of Celsus.The nearby town of Selcuk is dominated by a Byzantine citadel which stans close to the 6th century basilica of St. Jhon, supposedly built on the site of the apostle’s tomb.The 14th century Isa Bey Mosque, next to the basilica is accessed through its typical Seljuk portal.

The Efes museum which houses many of the artifacts, artwork, and statues found in the Ephesus site. Particularly interesting was the exhibit on the gladiator graveyard. Archiologists had discovered the graveyard a few years back and were able to determine many of the gladiator’s causes of death. A part of the site, St.John’s Basilica, was built in the 6th century AD, under emperor Justinian 1 over the supposed site of the apostle’s tomb. It is now surrounded by a Turkish town, Selcuk.

A bullring is an arena where bullfighting is performed. Bullrings are often associated with Spain, but they can also be found in neighboring countries and the New World. Bullrings are often historic and culturally significant centers that bear many structural similarities to the Roman amphitheater. The most famous bullrings in the world are Plaza de toros de Mexico in Mexico and Plaza de toros Monumental de Valencia in Valencia, Venezuela. The main bullrings are usually found in Spain, southern France and Portugal, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, and Peru. The classic bullring is an enclosed, roughly circular amphitheater with tiered rows of stands that surround an open central space. The open space forms the arena, a field of densely packed crushed rock that is the stage for the bullfight. Also on the ground level, the central arena is surrounded by a staging area where the bullfighters prepare and take refuge,called callejon. The callejon is separated from the arena by a wall or other structure, usually made of wood and roughly 140 cm high. The partition wall has doors for the entrance and exit of the bull and human participants. In regular places, the wall is pushed outwards leaving splits that allow the bullfighters to go in the arena and to take refuge but are too narrow for the bull. The walls also have a type of stirrup or foothold that aids in crossing over to the central arena, and sometimes stirrups on the arena side as well. These are used mostly by event staff if they need to intervene quickly in the case of an emergency.

Some of biggest and famous bullring in the world:
The Plaza Mexico, situated in Mexico City, is the world’s largest bullring. This 55,000-seat facility is completely dedicated to bullfighting. The Plaza México replaced the ancient bullring Toreo de la Condesa in the Condesa neighborhood that was overwhelmed by the rapid development of the Mexican population. It opened on 5 February 1946 and annually since then, that date marks the date of the Corrida de Aniversario. The Plaza de Toros de Sevilla is the oldest bullring in Spain. It is the site of the annual Feria de Abril in Sevilla, one of the most well-known bullfighting festivals in the world. Santamaria Bullring is a bull ring in Bogata, Colombia. It is currently used for bull fighting. The stadium holds 14,500 people and was built in 1931. Plaza de toros Monumental de Valencia is a bull ring in Valencia, Venezuela. It is currently used for bull fighting and other events like concerts and fairs. It is currently the second most large bullring worldwide, the first being the Plaza de Toros Mexico. The stadium holds 25,000 people and was built in 1968. The ring itself is considered one of the city’s most enjoyable tourist attractions and is certainly one of the most visited. The Arena of Nimes is a Roman amphitheater found in the French city of Nimes. Built in 27 B.C., it was remodeled in 1863 to serve as a bullring. The Arenas of Nimes is the site of two annual bullfights, and it is also used for other public events. The Plaza de toros de Acho is a bullring found in Lima, Peru whose construction began on 30 Jan 1766. It is the most important of the 56 official bullrings in the country. The plaza is classified as a historic monument and is located beside the historical center in the Rímac District. It has a seating capacity of 13,000. The plaza is the oldest to be found in the Americas and the second-oldest in the world after La Maestranza in Spain. The building encloses an elliptical central space 133 m long by 101 m wide. It is ringed by 34 rows of seats supported by a vaulted construction. It has a capacity of 16,300 spectators and since 1989 has a movable cover and a heating system.

The Colosseum – the greatest amphitheatre of the antiquity – was built in Rome, Italy, about 1920 years ago. It is considered an architectural and engineering wonder, and remains as a standing proof of both the grandeur and the cruelty of the Roman world.

The Colosseum or Coliseum, originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is a giant amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome. Originally capable of seating 50,000 spectators, it was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. It was built on a site just east of the Roman Forum, with construction starting between 70 and 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian. The amphitheatre, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire, was completed in 80 AD under Titus, with further modifications being made during Domitian’s reign.

The Colosseum remained in use for nearly 500 years with the last recorded games being held there as late as the 6th century — well after the traditional date of the fall of Rome in 476. As well as the traditional gladiatorial games, many other public spectacles were held there, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building eventually ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such varied purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry and a Christian shrine.

Although it is now in a severely ruined condition due to damage caused by earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum has long been seen as an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome and is one of the finest surviving examples of Roman architecture. It is one of modern Rome’s most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Catholic Church, whose Pope leads a torchlit procession to the amphitheatre each Good Friday.The Colosseum measures 48 metres (157 ft / 165 Roman feet) high, 189 metres (615 ft / 640 Roman feet) long, and 156 metres (510 ft / 528 Roman feet) wide. Unlike earlier amphitheatres, it was an entirely free-standing structure, constructed on flat ground rather than being built into an existing hillside or natural depression. Its outer wall originally measured 545 metres (1,788 ft / 1,835 Roman feet) and is estimated to have required over 100,000 cubic meters (3,531,466 ft) of travertine stone held together by 300 tons of iron clamps.

The surviving part of the outer wall’s monumental facade comprises three stories of superimposed arcades surmounted by a podium on which stands a tall attic, both of which are pierced by windows interspersed at regular intervals. The arcades are framed by half-columns of the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders, while the attic is decorated with Corinthian pilasters. Each of the arches in the second- and third-floor arcades framed statues, probably honoring divinities and other figures from Classical mythology.

The Colosseum’s huge crowd capacity made it essential that the venue could be filled or evacuated quickly. Its architects adopted solutions very similar to those used in modern stadiums to deal with the same problem. The amphitheatre was ringed by eighty entrances at ground level, 76 of which were used by ordinary spectators. Each entrance and exit was numbered, as was each staircase. The northern main entrance was reserved for the Roman Emperor and his aides, whilst the other three axial entrances were most likely used by the elite.

The arena itself was 83 metres by 48 metres (272 ft by 157 ft / 280 by 163 Roman feet).It comprised a wooden floor covered by sand (the Latin word for sand is harena or arena), covering an elaborate underground structure called the hypogeum (literally meaning “underground”). Little now remains of the original arena floor, but the hypogeum is still clearly visible. It consisted of a two-level subterranean network of tunnels and cages beneath the arena where gladiators and animals were held before contests began. Eighty vertical shafts provided instant access to the arena for caged animals and scenery pieces concealed underneath; larger hinged platforms, called hegmata, provided access for elephants and the like. It was restructured on numerous occasions; at least twelve different phases of construction can be seen.

Hollywood movies reinforced some widespread false impressions about the Colosseum of Rome. Historians doubt that the wholesale martyring of Christians occurred there. And, the image of lions eating the Christians before cheering crowds is likely fantasy. Films have also bolstered the myth that thumbs down meant to kill the person in the arena. It was just the opposite in Roman times. Thumbs up signaled “kill him” and thumbs down, “spare him.”

The Colosseum – Entry €11 (€9 if you’re under 25). Expect a long queue and an even longer wait. You can skip the queue if you decide to take a tour, but if you don’t want a tour, you can STILL skip the queue. If you walk across the street to the Roman Forum, you can buy a day-long pass for €10,better still, a 7-day pass for €20 or a standard Colosseum + Palatine ticket at €11. This pass gets you in to the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, the Baths of Caracalla, and the catacombs. If you don’t want to cram it all into one day, get the pass. Plus, it is nice to buy a slice of pizza and eat in the gardens of Palatine Hill. There are lots of people offering tours in English just outside the entrance to the Colosseum. Inside you can take a tour (English, Spanish, or German) every 30 minutes or so for an additional fee of €3.5 per person. The tours are given by knowledgeable archeologists, but they don’t take you to any areas you couldn’t visit on your own.