Bosra

Bosra (sometimes Bostra , in Arab بصرى) is a city of the south of the Syria, capital of the area of the Hauran, classified with the World heritage of humanity by UNESCO.

Formerly capital of the Roman province of Arabia and important stage on the old caravan road of Mecque, Bosra preserve, enclosed in its thick walls, a splendid Roman theater of the 2nd century, ruins paléochrétiennes and several mosques.

The current city developed on the vestiges of the old city which was about depopulated one century ago. It thus has only the name and the stones of construction in common with this one. But the phantom of the large ancient city planes above the low houses, very closed on outside: one sees there mosques and minarets, doors, vestiges of old houses and churches. In the narrow and sinuous passages, ancient columns are drawn up in the most unexpected places, and in the medium draws up the enormous citadel, severe Arab carapace drawn up around an elegant Roman theater.

A little History

Located at 150 km of Damas in the middle of the fertile area of Hauran, on a basaltic plate, Bosra enters the history at the time hellenistic. Under the kings Arétas III and Arétas IV, it fall under the cut from the Nabatéens. In 106 of our era, it becomes the capital of the Roman province of Arabia created by Trajan after the annexation of the Nabatène. Located in the middle of Hauran, a very fertile area, Bosra knew prosperity. Located at the outlet of the caravans coming from Arabia, she played an important commercial part and she counted to 50.000 inhabitants. Its black rocks, employees in construction since centuries, confer on the whole area much originality. Moreover, the hardness of basalt made it possible the monuments to admirably make vis-a-vis wear.

Mentioned for the first time in Egyptian files in 1350 av. J. - C. under the name of Busrana , it develops really only as from the 2nd front century J. - C. when it becomes the regional capital of Nabatène, titrates which will be granted to him officially to Ier century a. J. - C. under Rabbel II.

In 106 ap J. - C., Trajan annexes Nabatène and chooses Bosra like capital of the province of Arabia. Being on the main axe of communication, the Via Nova Trajana , it is essential like required passage and not less than 5000 Roman legionaries settle there: Bosra rather quickly became the final garrison of the Legio III Cyrenaica. Increased and clearing of public edifices organized around a Cardo and of a Decumanus , it is renamed Nova Trajana Bostra by Trajan between 98 and 117 a. J. - C. During the same century, one built there the large theater of 17.000 places, one of vastest of the Roman East, remained almost intact until our days.

At the beginning of 3rd century a. J. - C., the Christianity, in full expansion, will change the urban landscape: many churches, a cathedral dedicated to the Serge saints, Bacchus and Leonce are built.

For the Moslem tradition, it is in Bosra that Muhammad met Bahira, a Christian monk, who initiated it with the monotheism.

After the Moslem conquest of Bosra in 632, the area is used as battle field to the Moslems and to the Byzantines who dispute the control of Syria.

Thirty-six mosques, whose mosque El Omar, are built and of many Christians convert. The Seldjoukides, controlling the city starting from the end of 11th century a. J. - C., restored there prosperity and protected it from the Croisés.

Strengthened by Nour ED DIN, the Ayyoubides will make Roman theater, a true citadel which will be conquered by the Mongolian . Baybars restores it in 1261. The road carrying out with Mecque modified (partly because of the armed robbery prevailing in Hauran), Bosra will not lose importance at the point not to be any more but one simple village. This traditionally prosperous agricultural area took again really its activity only as from 1886 when thousands of Druzes settled in Bosra.

Theater Romain de Bosra

After the catch of the city in 106 after J. - C., the Romans did not certainly hesitate a long time before undertaking the construction of the Roman Théâtre. It is supposed that it was completed under Trajan (death in 117).

The Romans were vigorous colonizers, but they had a very subtle instinct as regards propaganda: a construction of this kind is always well accommodated by a dynamic city. The Pax Romana is maintained for almost 500 years. Into 395, the Roman Empire, which is then almost christianized, is divided into two parts, the Western Empire which are exhausted in 80 years, and the Byzantine Empire, the Byzantine Empire, which survives more than thousand years. Syria falls to the Byzantine empire and remains under its domination approximately two centuries and half, rich period, as well from the cultural point of view as from the religious point of view. But the neighbors become increasingly powerful and Bosra falls to the hands from the Arabs into 635; they come from the east and the south. The theater undergoes a strange metamorphosis then.

The new Masters find certainly the building in perfect state, but the dramatic art did not have obviously their interest. Without much expenditure, they transform the building into a solid fortress which must protect this important center from trade and its highway network. Time passes and the great threat approaches: cross . A transformed theater is not enough to be protected from their frightening machines to war, and around 1250, the theater of all shares is surrounded by military constructions. There will remain hidden during the 700 following years.

It is extremely rare that a radical transformation of this kind preserved original work so much well.

The Bosra unit had to represent a thorny problem for those with which échut the responsibility for the rich person treasures of Antiquity at the time when Syria acquires its sovereignty. One had been able to note that the theater represented, among Roman architectural works, a building of first value which, moreover, was remarkably well preserved inside the fortress itself. But it was necessary to release it, to eliminate a block from constructions which represented itself a value as well from the architectonic point of view as cultural.

The solution brought to this problem is reasonable and bold: one released completely the interior of the theater and preserved the works of fortification.

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