The Silence Stages

Since 2005 I have been visiting more than 430 ancient greek and roman theatres around 18 countries, taking photographs and information. These blog is dedicated to all that experience.



Desde 2005 he visitado más de 430 teatros y odeones, griegos y romanos en 18 países, tomando fotografías y recopilando información. Este blog está dedicado a toda esta experiencia.



Tuesday 9 August 2011

Bostra (Bosra)

BOSTRA (Bosra), ancient Arabia, modern Syria.

COORDINATES: 32º31.03.93’’N // 36º28’53.72’’E
TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.
DATE: First II A.D. (Severan).
TRANSFORMATIONS: The theatre was transformed in an Arab fortress.
CAPACITY: 8.000 spectators.
CAVEA: Facing north. 88 m. diameter. Maenianum: Ima cavea with 14 rows of seats in 5 cunei; Media cavea with 18 rows in seven cunei; Summa cavea with 6 rows in 10 cunei. the last row of seats in ima and media with stone back. Porticus in summa cavea preserved.
ORCHESTRA: 28 m. diameter, paved in stone.
STAGE BUILDING: Proscaenium with 5 curved and 6 rectangular niches. Pulpitum 45,1 x 6,2 m. Scaenae frons has three doors in curved niches. Columnatio with three storeys.
LOCATION: The roman theatre is the centre of modern Bosra, 130 klm. south of Damasco.
MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Sear, Frank; “Roman theatres: an architectural study”. Oxford University Press, 2006. // Ciancio Rossetto, Paola; Giuseppina Pisani Sartorio (eds); “Teatri Greci e Romani: alle origini del linguaggio rappresentato”. Rome: SEAT, 1995. // Bieber, Margarete. “The History of The Greek and Roman Theatre”. Princeton University Press, 1961. // Segal, Arthur; “Theatres in Roman Palestine & provincia Arabia”. New York, E.J. Brill., 1995. // Burns, Ross; “Monuments of Syria”. London, I.B. Tauris, 1999.



OUT OF PRINT: Bosra ancient theatre is of the three roman theatres best preserved, with Aspendos in Turkey and Orange in France. I visited in winter, early in the morning, when I was wandering by the rows of seats, absorbed in such a magnificent monument, seating in media cavea, looking the scaenae frons –I do not see a  scaenae frons every day-, when I went down to the real world I realized I was a prisoner, not for being in an ancient theatre that in Arab times was transformed in a fortress... I was a prisoner because I was surrounded by ice, all the stone seats and stairs were frozen, so I slipped two times; I went down to the orchestra descending the stairs with my ass, not very honourable in fact, but a sure way for descending without loosing the marvellous view of the scaenae frons. There are silence that sings, here in Bosra you can listen a slowly dumb song.

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