The Roman Theatre at Bosra ( ar, المسرح الروماني ببصرى) is a large
Roman theatre
Roman theatres derive from and are part of the overall evolution of earlier Greek theatres. Indeed, much of the architectural influence the Romans came from the Greeks, and theatre structural design was no different from other buildings. However ...
in
Bosra
Bosra ( ar, بُصْرَىٰ, Buṣrā), also spelled Bostra, Busrana, Bozrah, Bozra and officially called Busra al-Sham ( ar, بُصْرَىٰ ٱلشَّام, Buṣrā al-Shām), is a town in southern Syria, administratively belonging to the Dara ...
, in the
district of Dar'a in south-western Syria.
History
It was built in either the second quarter or the second half of the second century AD, and is constructed of black
basalt
Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90 ...
. It is likely that the theatre was built during the reign of
Trajan
Trajan ( ; la, Caesar Nerva Traianus; 18 September 539/11 August 117) was Roman emperor from 98 to 117. Officially declared ''optimus princeps'' ("best ruler") by the senate, Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presi ...
.
The theatre was originally built outside the walls of the town, but was later completely enclosed by an
Ayyūbid
The Ayyubid dynasty ( ar, الأيوبيون '; ) was the founding dynasty of the medieval Sultanate of Egypt established by Saladin in 1171, following his abolition of the Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt. A Sunni Muslim of Kurdish origin, Saladin ...
fortress. 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
A citadel is the core fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of "city", meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core.
In ...
and to guard a road leading to
Damascus
)), is an adjective which means "spacious".
, motto =
, image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg
, image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg
, seal_type = Seal
, map_caption =
, ...
.
The theatre is 102 metres across and has seating for about 17,000 people; it is thus among the largest of the Ancient Roman civilisation. It served a city that once had 80,000 inhabitants.
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.
Syrian Civil War
, the site is still on the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
's list of
World Heritage in Danger
The List of World Heritage in Danger is compiled by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) through the World Heritage Committee according to Article 11.4 of the World Heritage Convention,Full title: ''Conv ...
. The theatre was added to the list in 2013.
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.
See also
*
List of Roman theatres
Roman theatres built during the Roman period may be found all over the Roman Empire. Some were older theatres that were re-worked.
See also
* Roman architecture
* Roman amphitheatre
* Theatre of ancient Rome
Notes
Bibliography
*
*
{{Anc ...
References
External links
*
Video of the theatre– UNESCO/NHK Videos on Heritage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bosra, Roman Theatre
Bosra
Buildings and structures in Daraa Governorate
Buildings and structures completed in the 2nd century
Ancient Roman theatres in Syria