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ANCIENT THEATRES - ANCIENT THEATRES' IDENTITY
THEATRE OF
KOS
Information
|
Description
of the
Monument
|
Photo
Gallery
|
Scientific
Report
 |
The theatre is located at the site of Ambavri, south of the
modern town, in Kos Municipality. The theatre belongs to the
category of large urban Roman theatres and was built during
the Roman Imperial period (1st c. AD). |
|
|
|
Description of the monument
The theatre is located at the site of Ambavri, south of the modern town, in Kos Municipality.
The sections of the theatre which have come to light are dated to the Roman Imperial period (1st c. AD). The monument later underwent significant modifications and extensions to the upper part of the cavea and to the stage building, which is oriented east-west. Parts of the substructure of the cunei, of moulded concrete (opus caementicium), are preserved. The seats were made of white marble. Hellenistic seats of “almond stone” conglomerate found in the area may indicate the existence of an earlier theatre of that period (3rd c. BC).
In its present form, the monument belongs to the category of large urban Roman theatres. The cavea was divided into upper and lower and was oriented north. It was approximately 108 m wide and seated up to 13,000 spectators attending events probably connected to the Temple of Asklepios.
The building was destroyed in the Byzantine period. It was partially excavated in 1922 and 1930 by the Italian Archaeological Mission to the Dodecanese.
The monument is located in a designated non-built-up archaeological zone but its state of preservation is very poor. There is no access to the monument, so it is not open to the public.
Dimitris Bosnakis
Archaeologist
Elpida Skerlou
Archaeologist
Eleni - Anna Chlepa
Architect - Restorer
Photo
gallery
 |
General view of the territory. |
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General view of the territory. |
 |
General view of the territory. |
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General view of the territory. |
Scientific
report
| Monument Name |
Theatre
of
the
City
of
Kos |
| Category |
Theatre |
| Brief Description |
The
monument
belongs
to
the
category
of
large
urban
Roman
theatres.
The
cavea
was
divided
into
the
upper
and
lower
cavea
and
was
oriented
north.
It
was
approximately
108
m
wide
and
seated
approximately
13,000
spectators,
probably
attending
events
connected
to
the
Temple
of
Asklepios. |
| Images - Plans |
None. |
| Documentation - Bibliography |
1. L. Morricone, Scavi e ricerche a Coo (1935-1943), relazione preliminare, bda xxxv, 1950,244. 2. Monica Livadiotti e Giorgio Rocco (a cura di) La presenza Italiana nel Dodecaneso tra il 1912 e il 1948, Catania 1996, 156-8. 3. H.P. Isler, Cos, Teatri Greci e Romani (Paola Ciancio Rossetto e Giuseppina Pisani Sartorio, ed), Roma 1995, 147. |
| Location |
Ambavri
site,
south
of
the
modern
town,
Kos
Municipality,
Prefecture
of
the
Dodecanese. |
| Dating |
Roman
period
-
perhaps
also
Hellenistic. |
|
General Description of Monument
|
The
monument
belongs
to
the
category
of
large
urban
Roman
theatres.
The
cavea
was
divided
into
the
upper
and
lower
cavea
and
was
oriented
north.
It
was
approximately
108
m
wide.
It
seated
approximately
13,000
spectators,
probably
attending
events
connected
to
the
Temple
of
Asklepios.
The
surviving
sections
of
the
theatre
which
have
come
to
light
are
dated
to
the
Roman
Imperial
period
(1st
c.
AD).
The
theatre
underwent
significant
modifications
and
extensions
to
the
upper
cavea
and
to
the
stage
building
(4.75
x
6.49
m),
which
is
oriented
east-west.
Parts
of
the
substructure
of
the
cunei,
of
moulded
concrete
(opus
caementicium),
are
preserved.
The
seats
were
made
of
white
marble.
Hellenistic
seats
of
“almond
stone”
conglomerate
found
in
the
area
may
indicate
the
existence
of
an
earlier
theatre
of
that
period
(3rd
c.
BC).
The
building
was
destroyed
in
the
Byzantine
period. |
| Current Situation |
The
state
of
preservation
is
very
poor. |
| Excavations - Interventions |
Partially
excavated
in
1922
(Α.
della
Seta)
and
1930
(L.
Laurenzi)
by
the
Italian
Archaeological
Mission
to
the
Dodecanese. |
| Permitted Uses |
None. |
|
History of Modern Uses |
- |
| Further Information |
There
is
no
access
to
the
monument.
There
is a
water
supply
nearby.
The
monument
is
located
in a
designated
non-built-up
archaeological
zone
and
lies
on
private
land.
It
belongs
to
the
jurisdiction
of
the
Ministry
of
Culture/22nd
Ephorate
of
Prehistoric
and
Classical
Antiquities,
which
is
responsible
for
the
Prefecture
of
the
Dodecanese. |
| Intellectual Rights |
Ministry
of
Culture/22nd
Ephorate
of
Prehistoric
and
Classical
Antiquities. |
| Jurisdiction |
Ministry
of
Culture/22nd
Ephorate
of
Prehistoric
and
Classical
Antiquities. |
|
Latitude |
- |
| Longitude |
- |
| Altitude |
0 |
|
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earth
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