The Roman Theater

Site description (Theater Discovery): The theater was marked on the Madaba mosaic map as early as the sixth century AD. Although displayed on that map, the theater's location needed to be indicated. However, In 1979, Nablus Municipality was carrying out infrastructure works on the upper street of the theater site; parts of its back wall were found, and most of its features were later unrevealed.The theater reflects Nablus's progress and enormity during the Roman period. Due to the size and grandeur of its architecture, it also reflects the general culture of the society at that period. It also reflects the public culture of the community in that period and its division into families and social classes of the city's population.Archaeological excavations continued at the site for several years, starting from 1979 AD until 1986 AD, which in turn revealed the theater's sections, which are: the lower level of the stands' bases, the sides of the upper level, and the remaining parts of the upper shelves could not be detected because it is located down the street adjacent to the south of the theater. The orchestra square and the tiled corridor surrounding it and separating it from the stands were also uncovered, in addition to large amounts of building stones, decorations, and some stone seats preserved in the square.It was impossible to complete the excavations at the staging site alongside the sections related to the actors and the administration rooms; because it is located under an existing residential house inhabited directly by the ruins of the theater. The excavations also showed that the architectural elements of the theater were moved from their location during the subsequent eras to construct new buildings, as these stones still appear in many of the old town's buildings.This theater is considered one of the largest theaters in the region, with an estimated capacity of between 10,000 and 12,000 spectators. The external diameter of the theater is 110 m, and the inner diameter of the stands is 55 m. The shelves were divided into 12 suites that were separated by longitudinal stairs. Each of these suites was dedicated to a specific social class identified by symbols written in Greek that appeared on the seats of the lower stands. Many stone seats were discovered, some of which bore beautiful motifs of dolphins and were intended for the ruling upper class.The establishment of the theater dates back to the end of the first century, and the beginning of the second century AD. The orchestra center was reused during the Byzantine period as a collecting water pool. This reflects a cultural decline that the city witnessed during that period.There are plans that the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities is preparing to restore and rehabilitate this theater.