Ancient Bosra a UNESCO World Heritage Site
City of Roman Province of Arabia, and Site of Trajan's Amphitheatre
Jul 19, 2009
The earliest references to Bosra, then known as Busrana, were found in the 14th century BCE records of Egyptian Pharaoh, Thutmose III.
Like much of the region Bosra was occupied by Alexander the Great and following his death the Seleucids, determined to continue the Macedonian dynasty. Eventually the city became part of the Nabatean kingdom.
After the annexation of the Nabatean kingdom by Emperor Trajan in 105 CE, Bosra became, along with nearby cities of Gerasa and Philadelphia (modern Jerash and Amman Jordan) part of the Roman province of Arabia.
Although Petra remained the most important religious centre, the city of Bosra became Arabia’s capital. Later as the eastern half of the Roman Empire disintegrated, the city became absorbed into the Byzantine Empire.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
UNESCO’s Advisory Body Evaluation document (May, 1980) is quite clear about the reason for its inclusion on its list of World Heritage Sites, it says: “Most notably it is a site of extreme rarity and of unique aesthetic value…
“Of the city which once counted 80,000 inhabitants, there remains today only a village of striking beauty…”
The 2nd century Roman amphitheatre, probably built by Emperor Trajan, unique in its construction, is today the focal point of Bosra.
From the outside it’s an Arab citadel with eight fortified towers with linking walls built in a semi-circle like curtains drawn around the vast theatre inside. The citadel came after Trajan, built during the Ayyubid period (after 1200) as protection from Crusader armies.
Trajan was responsible for many of the buildings that remain although visitor to Bosra today would find themselves among the ruins of several ancient civilisations: Roman, Byzantine and Muslim.
Aware of the importance of communications, Trajan also constructed a major network of roads (Via Nova Traiana) linking Bosra, Damascus, Amman and Aqaba.
Al Mabrak Mosque
Of particular importance to Muslims is the al Mabrak Mosque, which according to legend, is built on the spot where the Prophet Mohammed’s camel knelt, allowing him to pray. The literal translation of al Mubrak is “kneeling mosque”. Interestingly although some reliable sources refer to Mohammed’s visit as legend, UNESCO talks of his visit in factual terms.
Basilica of Bahira
During the Byzantine period the Basilica of Bahira, which started life as some form of civic building was converted into a church and is associated with the legend of the Monk Bahira. Mohammed is said to have: “Learned the precepts of Christianity from Bahira.” (UNESCO)
Bosra Festival
Today Bosra is an important stop on the Middle Eastern tourist route. The Syrian authorities, while anxious to promote the site to serious students of history also stage the Bosra Festival, an eclectic mix of music, dance and theatre, set within the ruins of Trajan’s theatre.
Sources:
UNESCO World Heritage, Ancient City of Bosra, Advisory Body Evaluation, May 1980
Embassy of Syria, Washington DC, Bosra International festival of Arts
Ivan Mannheim and Dave Winter, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon Handbook, Footprint Handbooks, 1998, pages 292-297
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