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Theatre interior, Bosra
(F. Cobbing,
1997)
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Bosra is most famous for its well-preserved
freestanding Roman theatre - the most complete in the world according to
some sources. The reasons for its remarkable preservation are probably
twofold. The strong basalt stone is particularly durable, but it was this
building’s secondary use as a citadel in the Islamic periods from the
7th century through to the mid-11th century AD that saved it from
destruction. In the first
century AD, before its annexation by the Romans in AD 106, Bosra was the
northern capital of the Nabatean kingdom. The city's Nabatean heritage can
be seen in some of architectural decorative elements such as the pillar
capitols on the 'Nabatean Gate'. Bosra is also strongly associated with
the prophet Mohammed. According
to an Islamic tradition, it is the place where he was instructed in the
teachings of Christianity by the Nestorian monk Boheira. |
