Mastaura

Mastaura ancient city, located in Nazilli district of Aydin province, is one of the important cities of Caput Viae road extending from the Aegean coast to the interior of Anatolia. It is located at the intersection of Caria and Lydia regions and north of Maiandros (Buyuk Menderes) river.

The ancient historian Stephanos of Byzantium gave the most comprehensive information about the city. He states that Mastaura was a Lydian city and that the name derived from fairy Ma, therefore it has a mythological origin.

Excavations at the site started in 2022. The most striking structure of the ancient city is the amphitheater from the Roman period, one of the rare structures for Anatolian archaeology. To the east of this structure are the remains of a large Roman Bath.