Over 30 years of
excavation have uncovered many Roman remains including
this well-preserved theatre with galleries, sections
of mosaic-flooring, and marble seats for up to 800
spectators. In Ptolemaic times, this area was the Park
of Pan and a pleasure garden. The theater at one point
may had been roofed over to serve as an Odeon for
musical performances.
Inscriptions
suggest that it was sometimes also used for wrestling
contests. The theatre stood with thirteen
semi-circular tiers of white marble that was imported
from Europe. Its columns are of green marble imported
from Asia Minor, and red granite imported from Aswan.
The wings on either side of the stage are decorated
with geometric mosaic paving. The dusty walls of the
trenches, from digging in the northeast side of the
Odeon, are layered with extraordinary amounts of
potsherds. Going down out of the Kom, you can see the
substantial arches and walls in stone, the brick of
the Roman baths, and the remains of Roman houses.