Balbura (Katara)

BALBURA (Katara), ancient Lycia / Asia Minor, modern Turkey.

COORDENATES: 36º57’14.59’’N // 29º34’56.73’’E

TIPOLOGY: Greek theatre. Urban.

DATE: Mid – II B.C.

TRANSFORMATIONS:

CAPACITY: 1.800 spectators.

CAVEA: facing south. 36 m. diameter, exceeeds semicircle. Maenianum: 16 rows of seat are visible on 3 cunei.

ORCHESTRA: 11 m. diameter.

STAGE BUILDING: It´s the best preserved a complete wall built on slope of polygonal rusticated masonry.

LOCATION: Balbura has two theatres, these is called “upper theatre” and it´s located on south slope of north hill, 6 klm. south-east from Altinyayla, 25 klm. south from Gölishar

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Yilmaz, Yasar; “Anadolu Antik Tiyatrolari”. Istanbul, Yem Yanin, 2010.// 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 // Bean, George; “Lycian Turkey”. London, Ernst Benn, 1978. // Freely, John; “The Western Mediterranean coast of Turkey”. Istanbul, Matbaacilik ve Yayincilik A.S., 1997.

 

 

OUT OF PRINT: These is one of these theatres that you spent time to find it. In my first travel to Lycia, I was not able to find it, I only had very poor references in Bean´s book, it was a day in which I lived with the snow on road and to take references was very difficult, I did not have a gps either. Anyway I found it in my second travel, it was difficult but too much exciting... the bad new was that I did not have references to look for the second one theatre, I tried to recognize the land was it was not possible... maybe, I hope, there will be a third time, another travel to Lycia, and I will try it again, of course.

Dora (Dor)

DORA (Dor), ancient Palestina, modern Israel.

COORDENATES: 32º37’12.06’’N // 34º55’07.48’’E

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.

DATE: II or III A.D.

TRANSFORMATIONS:

CAPACITY:

CAVEA: Facing north-north-west. 60 m. diameter. Aditus maximi visible remains.

ORCHESTRA: Paved in stone.

STAGE BUILDING: Columns remains of grey and coloured marble. Corinthian capitals found.

LOCATION: 200 m. north of northern edge of town. Dor is 60 klm. north from Tel Aviv.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Segal, Arthur; “Theatres in Roman Palestine & provincia Arabia”. New York, E.J. Brill., 1995. // 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.

 

OUT OF PRINT: Somebody that I found in my visit to ancient Dora told me that the ancient theatre remains are actually the private WC of the bathers... well some latin comedy was always full of eschatology.

Teate Marrucinorum (Chieti)

TEATE MARRUCINORUM (Chieti), ancient Regio IV, modern Italy.

COORDENATES: 42º20’49.18’’N // 14º09’48.21’’E

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.

DATE: Second half of I A.D. or first II A.D.

TRANSFORMATIONS: Orchestra was transformed in colimbetra for water games.

CAPACITY:

CAVEA: Facing north-north-west. 84 m. diameter. Built against slope the centre of cavea.

ORCHESTRA:

STAGE BUILDING: Under modern buildings.

LOCATION: In south-west part of town.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Tosi, Giovana; “Gli edificio per spettacoli nell’Italia romana”. Roma, Quasar, 2003.// 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.

OUT OF PRINT: If you pretend to find some columnatio in the  scaenae frons you will find clothes drying in the sun, anyway I have always thought both are pretty.

Side (Side)

SIDE (Side), ancient Pamphylia / Asia Minor, modern Turkey.

COORDENATES: 36º46’04.92’’N // 31º23’26.32E

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.

DATE: Last II A.D.

TRANSFORMATIONS: It may probably have been an earlier Greek theatre. In III A.D. it was transformed in amphitheatre.

CAPACITY: 10.000spectators.

CAVEA: Facing north-east. 120 m. diameter. Bilt against slope, although summa cavea have 2 levels of substructures. 23 radial barrel-vaults appear on façade. Maenianum: Ima cavea with 30 rows of seats in 11 cunei. Summa cavea with 25 rows in 24 cunei.

ORCHESTRA: 29 m. diameter, surrounded by podium.

STAGE BUILDING: Pulpitum have trapezoidal shape. Scaenae frons was rectilinear, with 5 doors; 2 storey for columnatio. Postscaenium with 9 rooms. Podium of scaenae frons with relief sculptures.

LOCATION: Side is 65 klm. east from Antalya.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Yilmaz, Yasar; “Anadolu Antik Tiyatrolari”. Istanbul, Yem Yanin, 2010 // 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. // Bean, George; “Turkey´s southern shore”. London, Ernest Benn Limited, 1968.

 

 

OUT OF PRINT: In Side ancient theatre I played jigsaw... you only have to look at the scattered relief sculpture remains of the podium and let the mind to fly.

Athenae (Athina)

ATHENAE (Athina), ancient Achaia, modern Greece.

COORDENATES: 37º58’30.86’’N // 23º43’23.28’’E

TIPOLOGY: Roman odeon, known as Odeon of Agrippa. Urban.

DATE: Last I B.C.
TRANSFORMATIONS: In 150 A.D. was transformed for public lectures.
CAPACITY: 1.000 spectators.
CAVEA: Facing north. Auditorium square 25 x 25 m., 19 rows of seats in 6 cunei. Overall dimensions of the building 51,3 x 43,2 m.
ORCHESTRA: 18,5 m., paved in polychrome marble.
STAGE BUILDING: Pulpitum 25 x 3 m. Proscaenium rectilinear. Scaenae frons is rectilinear too, with three doors. There are three marble statues in the place, well preserved, they were part of the decoration; drum columns too of the Corinthian order.
LOCATION: The Roman odeon of Agrippa is in the Agora.
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. // Izenour, George. Roofed Theaters of Classical Antiquity. Yale University Press, 1992.

 

OUT OF PRINT: In Athens the Gods are still alive, but they are deaf to the cries of their people... “Because gods perceive future things, men what is happening now, but wise men perceive approaching things” wrote Philostratus in his “Kife of Apollonius of Tyana”... but, where are the wise men nowadays?