After eleven years, the ancient theater of Thassos, one of the oldest in Greece, reopens to the public in mid-May, following the completion of extensive restoration work.
The theater has been restored to the phase it was in during Roman times and is now completely clad in the famous white marble mined in the island’s quarries.
Built in the 4th century BC on the slopes of a hill to the east of the ancient city of Thassos (the current capital of the island, Limenas), the ancient theater with its unparalleled view of the sea is preparing to enter a new period of operation, more than century after it was first discovered.
The oldest phase of construction of the theatre of Thassos dates back to the beginning of the Hellenistic period (late fourth – first quarter of the third century BC). The theatre had a stage building with a marble facade. The rows of seats are made of simple marble blocks without curvatures, except for the seats found in the lower part of the koilon.
From the 1st century AD, the theatre was used for animal hunts and gladiator fights. The conversion of the theatre into an arena took place at the time of the Roman dynasty of the Severans (late 2nd – early 3rd century AD).
The work of restoring this monumental theater was perhaps one of the most difficult technical projects carried out in recent years by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Kavala – Thassos.
The hollow of the theater was excavated from its foundations to restore past damages, provide a solution to static issues, and complete important infrastructure that would ensure its modern function as a space that can host cultural and artistic events.
The theater was restored with white marble from Thassos’s quarries
“The restoration work on the hollow turned out to be extremely problematic and much more extensive than originally anticipated,” explains the project supervisor, archaeologist Constantina Panousis, speaking to the Athens-Macedonia News Agency (AMNA).
“What we had to deal with in the ancient theater of Thassos was a great challenge, especially in terms of the supply of marble…The analysis of the material that was made in the ancient benches showed us the type and composition of the marble used in antiquity, and based on this, a similar marble was ordered from a quarry on the island,” she added.
Until 2013, when the theater was permanently closed to start the restoration work, the theater seats were made of wood, resting on metal platforms, which were installed in the 1990s.
The former mayor of the island, Kostas Hadjiemmanouil says he feels vindicated with the result. “I feel that I won a personal bet and fulfilled a commitment I made to Thassos when in 2010 I promised that I would throw away the rotten plywood from the island’s ancient theater and replace it with all-white Thassos marble.”
Current Mayor Lefteris Kyriakidis, says that the opening of the ancient theater to visitors is a very important development and notes that the municipality intends to host events there when conditions allow.
Related: Ancient Greek Theater of Dodona Being Restored to Former Glory
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
