It was a very warm day in
Alexandria and I
was ready for a totally new adventure. I have seen many of the
Islamic,
Christian, and
Pharonic monuments all around Egypt, but this was the first time
for me to go explore a Roman monument and learn about that period of
Egyptian history. My destination was the Roman Theatre in Kom El
Dikka (pronounced Dakka) and since I was a theatre major I was particularly interested
in this monument. However, I found much more there
than
simply a theatre.
After I paid the admission price, I first took some time to view some displays that were set up in an open air museum, including items found all over Alexandria, including the harbor just out from Fort Qaitbey, as well as other objects discovered nearer to the Theatre, or the odeum as it is sometimes referred to.
The first two objects I saw were two huge stone capitals that
have wonderful detailed decorations. They were not unlike those I
had seen not long ago in the
Coptic museum in Cairo.
There was also a marvelous statue of a woman from the Roman times.
This was an amazing statue, seeming to have weathered time with very
little loss in detail. There was also beside this one some statues
of Sphinxes but most of them were less well preserved. I believe
many of these items came from the
harbor
excavations. There were also some monumental statues, including
a huge granite one of a woman, with considerable detail remaining.
Another fragmentary statue was that of the face of a man made of
granite that dates to the Pharaonic era. There were also more, but
larger sphinxes. The first one was black, but of questionable date.
The second was that of
Senusret III, a ruler
during Egypt's
12th Dynasty.
However, it was not well preserved, lacking much of any detail.
Another sphinx was that of
Ramesses II, the
famous ruler during the
19th Dynasty,
with some detail of hieroglyphics remaining under the face. There is
also an obelisk of Ramesses II's father
Seti I,
which is only a fragment of the original, as two fragments remain in
the harbor. Finally, there are a number of temple fragments with
some detail remaining.
Now, finally I was ready to explore the Roman Theatre. Built in
the 4th century AD, it remained in use until about the 7th century
AD, or about the time of the Arab invasion. It was discovered during
the 1960s when a government building was planned
for this location
over the ruins of a Napoleonic fort that had earlier been destroyed.
However, during excavation, the ruins of the Roman theatre was
found. A Polish team was responsible for its excavation. It was the
first, and so far only one discovered in a city which, according to
an ancient source, once had four hundred of them.
It is in a general area called Kom el Dikka today, which has
become the city's largest archaeological park. According to
tradition, it is so named because, in the 19th century when the
historian el Newery came to
Alexandria, he
found a small sand hill that looked like a Dikka, a type of seat.
The sand
was actually excavation from the Mahmoudia canal, after it
was dug out during the reign of
Mohammed Ali. At that time, it was popular among children as a
playground. At that time, there was also a water tap built by the
British here as a public source of water. Another traditions holds
that this was the location of a court with ten judges and that Dikka
is a Greek term referring to the number ten.
Besides the theatre at Kom el-Dikka, there are also Roman baths and a whole residential quarter dating from the Ptolemaic through the Medieval Period. Near the theatre one may find cisterns, a gymnasium and ancient Roman streets, along with a large villa dating to the reign of Hadrian that is now called the "Villa of the Birds", do to the magnificent mosaic floor in the main room depicting various species of birds. Excavations continue here today.
The
theatre has seating, elevated towards the rear part, in the shape of
a horseshoe. There are thirteen rows of white and gray marble seats,
except for the first row which was made of red granite to give
strength to the structure. However, at one time there were between
sixteen and seventeen rows of seats. The marble was imported from Europe
(probably Italy). It could
hold up to 700 to 800 people. The step seating of the Roman Theatre
are built upon a thick limestone wall with another brick wall
surrounding that one. The two walls are linked.
Many
of the seats are numbered with Greek lettering so that the seats could
actually be assigned. However, the seats are not numbered in order,
and some are not numbered at all. This could have been a result of
the earthquake in 535 AD, causing the theatre to be rebuilt, and
perhaps even converted to a different use.
Before the horseshoe is a stage that still retains some of its
mosaic paving, which is in fairly good condition, and there even
seems to be, and probably was an orchestra pit. However, more resent
studies have suggested that the mosaics may be of later date, from a
villa that was apparently built on this
location
in a period postdating the theatre.
There are passages and rooms beneath the theatre seats where actors were stationed before their performance, where they could change clothes, and also for use as to store equipment.
At one time, the structure was almost certainly covered over by a
roof supported by huge columns, mostly to protect the people from
the heat and rain. It may have aided the acoustics. We believe that
the roof was perhaps made of red bricks in the form of a dome. The columns were
also made of marble, but according to some
sources this marble was
imported from Asia Minor. However, the ceiling was destroyed by the
major earthquake that struck
Alexandria in the
6th century AD.
Indeed, in the center of the section thought perhaps to been for the orchestra one will find a circle of grey stones. Standing here, one may discern a notable echo from the seating that is not otherwise present.
Walking about the Roman Theatre, one notices that it seems very
well preserved. One also will notice a number of stone columns and
capitals that once supported its domes. There are also a number of
old Roman decorations, including Byzantine icons. It consists of a
cross inside a circle.
The cross of course is the standard icon of
Christianity, while the circle is the circle of light on the face of
Christ. There is also some Greek inscriptions that proclaims a
political victory, which indicates that the theatre was used for
political meetings during the Byzantine period.
Off of the theatre portico, recent finds also include several
auditoriums (auditoria), small lecture halls with stone seating of
various design, dating to the 5th and 6th centuries AD. There were
not the first to be found, but they bring the number of auditoriums
around the theater to a total of thirteen. The most prominent
feature of all of these lecture halls is an elevated seat, placed in
the middle of the stage, which was most probably intended for the
lecturer. The Polish-Egyptian team that is working on these
excavations appears to believe that there is probably a line of such
halls that extends all the way from the Theatre to the northern
limits of the site. According to the Polish-Egyptian team, these new finds and
research are enlightening:
"A few of the auditoria had been uncovered already in the
1980s, but it is only now, following additional research, that
a conclusion as to the function of the complex as a whole. We
now hold that the complex of halls represents the remains of one
of the academic institution for which Alexandria was renown in
antiquity. Our recent discovery has also thrown entirely new
light on the function of the nearby Theatre, which must have
been incorporated into this same complex, serving the needs of
larger groups of students."
"The importance of these recent findings can hardly be
overestimated not only for Alexandrian, but also for Roman
archaeology in general. It is for the first time ever that such
a complex of lecture halls has been uncovered on any Graeco-Roman
site in the entire Mediterranean. With this discovery, the
physical remains of an antique academic institution and perhaps
the oldest "university" in the world have come to light."
Of course, the university that they refer to is what is commonly referred to as the Library of Alexandria, an institution that was far more than simply one of the worlds greatest libraries. It was also a center of enlightenment during the Greek and Roman Periods of Egypt for the entire world.
Nearby, a new stage has been erected, so that the Roman Theatre can be used as a backdrop to modern theatre productions, lectures and other performances, mostly by the opera house.
A view of the modern seating across from the
ancient theatre
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Last Updated: 08/10/2006