Nysa, an important city of the ancient region of Caria, is located on the Aydın–Denizli highway,
30 km east of Aydın, and
3 km northwest of Sultanhisar District. Information regarding the foundation of Nysa is derived from the accounts of
Strabo of Amasya (63 BC – 21 AD), a famous traveler and geographer of the Augustan era, as well as the historian
Stephanos. The region, formerly known as Caria, was founded during the Hellenistic period in the
first half of the 3rd century BC by
Antiochos I Soter, the son of Seleukos.
The city was established as two separate settlements, connected by a bridge. The site contains structures such as a theater, gymnasium, agora, tunnel, and other architectural remains. During the Roman period, additional constructions and modifications were made. The city particularly reached a significant level in cultural development under Roman Imperial rule. Buildings, streets, and squares constructed on both sides of a steep gorge were supported by vaulted substructures. Nysa was especially famous in antiquity for its role in education, and Strabo himself studied in this city. The remains of the gymnasium and the library reflect this educational heritage.
Today, no remains of the Hellenistic city walls surrounding Nysa have been identified. However, traces of fortifications from the Byzantine period can be observed in certain areas. The theater, located on the eastern slope in the city center, is well preserved. Its cavea extends slightly beyond a semicircular shape. One of the best-preserved structures in Nysa is the Bouleuterion. Strabo described this building as the Gerontikon (council of elders). The rectangular-plan structure contains a semicircular cavea (theatron) in its interior.
In antiquity, Nysa was divided into two parts by a river that formed a rapidly flowing and deep gorge. Three bridges spanning this gorge connected both sides of the city. To the west of the streambed are the gymnasium and stadium; to the north are Byzantine architectural remains and the library, while to the northeast of the library stands the theater, which had a capacity of approximately 10,000 spectators. The two-storey library is considered the best-preserved ancient library in Anatolia after the Library of Celsus in Ephesus. On the eastern side of the streambed are the agora, council building, and Roman baths. The necropolis of the city is located to the west, along the road leading to Akharaka, the sacred area of the ancient city.
To the east of the Bouleuterion lies the agora, a marketplace measuring 89 x 105 meters, consisting of halls surrounded by colonnades on all four sides. Another major structure in the city is the Gymnasium, which served as a facility where young people received both intellectual and physical training. The building measures approximately 165 x 70 meters, although it is believed to have been smaller during Strabo’s time. The necropolis of Nysa is located about 2 km west of the ancient city, along the sacred road to Akharaka (Salâvatlı).
On the widest of the streambeds that divide the rocky plateau on which the city was built from north to south, there is the stadium, described by Strabo as an amphitheater. Today, it has been partially damaged due to floodwaters. The stadium measures approximately 192 x 44 meters, and the seating rows on the western side were placed on the natural terrain.