The lights were turned on for the night museum in Sagalassos, the city of love and emperors.

The ancient city of Sagalassos in Ağlasun, one of Anatolia's best-preserved ancient cities, will open to visitors in 2026 with a "Night Museum" function. The night lighting system, which began under the leadership of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and will illuminate the turnstiles at the visitor entrance, the bathhouse, the upper agora, the Macellum meat and fish market, the Antonine Fountain, the escalators, traverse paths, and other public areas, is nearing completion.

Trial Conducted

A trial was conducted as part of the lighting work at the ancient city of Sagalassos. The trial evaluated the effects of light and colors on the appearance of the historical structure. The illuminated ancient city was captured by drone at night. The illuminated view of the historical structure from the air was fascinating. The illumination of the Antonine Fountain was observed to enrich the historical fabric. The lighting project, which will be completed in the ancient city this year, aims to increase visitor numbers with the "Night Museum" program in the summer of 2026. Sagalassos Ancient City, which hosted 114,000 visitors last year, had 117,903 visitors as of October 21 this year.

SAGALASSOS, THE FAVORITE CITY OF THE EMPERORS

Sagalassos is a city founded 7 kilometers north of Ağlasun on the slopes of Mount Akdağ, at an altitude of 1,500-1,700 meters. One of the most important cities of the Roman Empire in Pisidia, Sagalassos's structures largely date from the Roman period. Its most prominent feature is the Antonine Fountain. The city experienced its economic, political, and social peak during the reign of Emperor Hadrian (2nd century AD). Sagalassos is one of the best-preserved ancient cities in Anatolia and was inscribed on the Tentative National List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2009.