Bosra's Ancient Roman Amphitheatre
Bosra Theatre, Trajan's Legacy From the Roman Province of Arabia
Aug 3, 2009
Bosra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a rare jewel among ancient cities that have survived the ravages of passing centuries. Its magnificent remains are a magnet to historians, archaeologists and many thousands of enthusiastic amateur sleuths, all anxious for a glimpse into a long gone world.
As would be expected for a city that was once a stop on one of the caravan routes that crossed the region, the remaining buildings, carvings, statues and public works projects reflect a range of cultural styles and influences.
Bosra Theatre and Citadel
Without doubt the most impressive remains in Bosra, an amalgam of Roman and Arab construction work, are the theatre and citadel. Although two different building projects from two different times, the splendid Roman architecture with its Corinthian columns and the functional Islamic defensive architecture are now inextricably linked
The citadel and its eight fortified towers, which came after the Roman theatre, was built around the theatre during the Uyyubid period (after 1200) as protection from Crusader armies.
Bosra Roman Amphitheatre
Professor Arthur Segal, of Haifa University, describes the theatre at Bosra as one of the most complete and best preserved in the region, protected by the Islamic citadel that surrounds it. Indeed once all the subsequent building work within the theatre was cleared away it was found to be almost intact.
The cavea (seating complex) is divided into three horizontal rows, the ima (lower) cavea originally had thirteen rows of seats, the media cavea (middle) had sixteen rows and the summa (upper) had six rows of seats.
Segal doesn’t speculate as to how many citizens might have filled the seats but there is a general agreement that around 9,000 would have crammed in to enjoy the ‘entertainment’ on offer.
Today the entrance to the citadel and theatre is from the east side by a bridge, across a moat, which leads into an entry hall, from which a maze of tunnels spreads out underneath the cavea.
From the tunnels and rooms beneath the tiered seating runs the wonderfully named vomitorium (ascending radial passageway), which leads to the stage of the theatre.
Around the top of the cavea are a series of columns, which are thought to have supported some form canopy to keep the sun off the spectators. The theatre is built entirely from basalt, which was in plentiful supply in the Hauran region.
Theatre of Marcellus
Interestingly Segal comments on the similarities in design to the spectacular theatre of Marcellus in Rome, built in by Emperor Augustus.
Sources:
UNESCO World Heritage, Ancient City of Bosra, Advisory Body Evaluation, May 1980
Ivan Mannheim and Dave Winter, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon Handbook, Footprint Handbooks, 1998, pages 292-297
Professor Arthur Segal, Theatres in Roman Palestine and Provincia Arabia, Mnemosyne Supplements 1994, pages 35,36, 53,54, 55,
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