Roman amphitheatre of Durrës

About

The Amphitheatre of Durrës (Albanian: Amfiteatri i Durrësit; Latin: Amphitheatrum Dyrrhachinum) is a Roman amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Durrës, Albania. Construction began under the emperor Trajan in the 2nd century AD and it was destroyed twice by earthquakes in the 6th and 10th centuries. It is the largest Roman amphitheatre ever built in the Balkan Peninsula, once having a capacity of 20,000 people. The amphitheatre is included on the tentative list of Albanian UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It was discovered in late 1966, and has since become a popular tourist attraction.

The amphitheatre was built in the beginning of the 2nd century AD, and was used for performances until the 4th century AD. The earthquake of 345/346 likely damaged the monument and closed the 'ludii gladiatorii'. An early Christian chapel was constructed on the amphitheatre in the second half of the 4th century. The chapel was initially decorated with frescoes; in the 6th century, mosaics were added. A medieval chapel was built in the 13th century, also decorated with frescoes. The amphitheatre was covered over in the 16th century, after the Ottoman occupation, when a wall was built nearby...