The VIP areas found now are similar to the modern-day box seats in sports stadiums and entertainment venues. Built during the Roman era, the Pergamon amphitheater had a very large arena to give it an edge over other ancient cities in the region such as Ephesus and Smyrna, Felix Pirson, director of the German Archaeological Institute, told Anadolu Agency.
"They wanted to build a replica of the Colosseum here, which was frequented by all segments of society. But people from the upper class or important families had private seats in special sections with their names engraved on them," he said.
"Another detail that caught our attention was that Latin names were written in Greek letters. We believe that some people from Italy had a special place in the Pergamon amphitheater." Pirson said the new findings will be exhibited at the Bergama Museum in İzmir, adding that excavation work in the region will conclude this year.
Teams have so far found five private seating areas at the Pergamon amphitheater, according to Berlin Technical University researcher İhsan Yeneroğlu. While efforts are still underway to determine the exact size and number, researchers believe the capacity could be at least 25,000 and go up to 50,000, he told Anadolu Agency.
