Roman Theatre at Bosra

The Roman Theatre at Bosra (Arabic: المسرح الروماني ببصرى‎) is a large Roman theatre in Bosra, in the district of Dar'a in south-western Syria.[1]:143

Roman Theatre at Bosra
المسرح الروماني ببصرى
The Roman Theatre at Bosra
Shown within Syria
LocationBosra, Syria
Coordinates32.517°N 36.481°E / 32.517; 36.481
TypeRoman theatre
Part ofBosra
Width102 metres (335 ft)
History
CulturesRoman
Site notes
Excavation dates1947–1970
Conditionrestored
OwnershipPublic
Public accessYes

History

It was built in either the second quarter[2]:53 or the second half of the second century AD,[1]:143 and is constructed of black basalt.[1]:141 It is likely that the theatre was built during the reign of Trajan.[3]

The theatre was originally built outside the walls of the town, but was later completely enclosed by an Ayyūbid fortress.[1]:141 The city of Bosra had its fortifications expanded between 481 and 1251. When later integrated into the fortifications, its role was to serve as a citadel and to guard a road leading to Damascus.[3]

The theatre is 102 metres across and has seating for about 15,000 people; it is thus among the largest of the Ancient Roman civilisation.[1]:141 It served a city that once had 80,000 inhabitants.[3] It is also one of the best preserved both in Syria and across the Roman empire. It was substantially restored between 1947 and 1970, before which it contained large quantities of sand, which may have helped to protect the interior.[1]:141

Panoramic view of the theatre
Stage of the theatre

Syrian Civil War

As of July 2018, the site is still on the UNESCO's list of World Heritage in Danger. The theatre was added to the list in 2013.[3]

The site has been damaged in the Syrian Civil War by various military activities conducted nearby. For instance, snipers have been active at the site.[4][5]

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See also

References
  1. K.A. Berney, Trudy Ring (1996). International Dictionary of Historic Places: Middle East and Africa. Volume 4 of: Noelle Watson (ed.) (1996). International Dictionary of Historic Places. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers. ISBN 9781884964039.
  2. Arthur Segal (1995). Theatres in Roman Palestine and Provincia Arabia. Leiden; New York: E.J. Brill. ISBN 9789004101456.
  3. "Ancient City of Bosra". whc.unesco.org. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  4. Porter, Lizzie (14 April 2015). "Syrian World Heritage Site used as battlefield". Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  5. "Syrian heritage destruction revealed in satellite images". 19 September 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2018 – via www.bbc.com.
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