2018-04-27 Fri

The 50p stamp depicts the Roman Theatre at Bosra in the district of Dar’a in southwestern Syria. It was carved out of black basalt in the second-century CE.

It was built outside the walls of the town but was later completely enclosed by an Ayyubid fortress. The theatre is 102 meters across and has a seating capacity of 15,000 people, making it one of the largest and best preserved ancient roman theatres in the world.

According to UNESCO, Bosra is a major archaeological site, containing ruins from Roman, Byzantine, and Muslim times. The Roman theatre is exceptional to the ancient city's structures due to its architecture and state of conservation. The city has been on the List of World Heritage in Danger sites since 2013.

In March 2015, video footage was released showing rebel and Syrian government forces battling amongst the ruins of the theatre, which resulted in the destruction of statues and shattered the stonework.

Image Courtesy: Google Images