Petra - Theatre

Petra's theater was built in the 1st century AD. It is quite large, with a seating capacity of over 6,000 people. The theater's 45 rows of seats are divided horizontally by two diazomata. Its cavea faces north and east, to keep the sun out of the spectators' eyes. Above the cavea are numerous tomb fronts, which were destroyed to make way for the theater's upper tiers of seating. (see photo - left)

Looking northeast from the cavea, the scenae frons has been partly reconstructed, although the original would have been much taller. Multiple small niches line the edge of the stage platform where it meets the orchestra.  (see photo - right)

A barrel-vaulted tunnel, the parados, leads onto the orchestra. Above and to the right, a smaller vomitorium leads onto the first diazoma. (see photo - left)

Photo Gallery:

	Click to Enlarge