Busra ash Sham Things to Do

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Soon after the Arabs conquered Bosra in the 7th century AD, they converted the city's disused Roman Theatre into a defensive Citadel surrounded by a moat. Successive empires and dynasties, from the Omayyads to the Fatimids, Seljuks and Ayyubids, continued to fortify the mighty walls which wrapped perfectly around the semi-circular theatre, thus inadvertently preserving it in the process. At first, the citadel was merely used to defend the Damascus-Mecca pilgrimage route, but it later played a role against growing Crusader and Mongol attacks. Although the Ayyubids made the greatest architectural contribution to the fortifications, the Mamlukes were the last to make use of the Citadel. However, it was abandoned along with the whole city soon after Tamerlane's invasion of Syria in 1402 AD. The actual structure consists of several square bastions and walls constructed over the centuries, and within them is a maze of dark vaulted passages, typical of mediaeval castles, that connect seamlessly with the inner galleries of the Roman Theatre. Passing through the winding obscure tunnels and into the order of the sun-drenched open-air Roman theatre within the citadel is an unforgettable sight. A small museum is nowadays housed in a section of these fortifications.

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Completed in the Omayyad period in 720 AD, al-Omari Mosque is one of the oldest surviving mosques in the world. Historians are uncertain whether it was named after the second Caliph Omar ibn al-Khattab, under whom Syria was conquered by the Moslems in 636 AD, or after the Omayyad Caliph Omar II who ruled from 717-720 AD. What is clear, however, is that the entire mosque was constructed using stones and columns from the ruined Roman buildings of the city, probably even from a pre-existing pagan temple on the same site. Along the eastern façade, where the entrance lies, a series of Ionic columns were used to support arches within the walls. Its interior also makes use of numerous recycled columns (see next tip). The mosque underwent a renovation and expansion under the Ayyubid dynasty in the late 12th century, during which the square minaret was constructed. Over time, al-Omari Mosque was abandoned and lay in ruins until it was restored in 1938 and reopened as a mosque.

Named after a pre-Islamic saint/prophet, Mosque of al-Khider was built in 1133 AD. It probably replaced an older mosque, which in turn may have replaced a pagan temple or a church. It has a 12-metre square minaret, probably erected in the 13th century. The mosque is located north of the Cryptoporticus, west of al-Omari Mosque.

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Uncovered relatively recently, the first (South) Cathedral of Bosra was the largest Christian structure in the city. It was built in the 4th/5th century AD on the site of the great Nabataean Temple of Bosra, whose very stones were used to construct the cathedral. The vast pagan temple, probably dedicated to the primary Nabataean deity, Dùshara, is known to have been deliberately destroyed after the Christianisation of the region in an effort to eradicate paganism. The Temple's replacement, the South Cathedral, is believed to have been built over the inner enclosure. Its design, a circle within a square with exedrae topped by a large dome, was probably the prototype for Bosra's second Cathedral of Saints Sergius, Bacchus & Leontius, which in turn inspired numerous later churches in Christendom, including the first Hagia Sophia and the Church of Saints Sergius & Bacchus in Constantinople. It was probably the first building ever built with a round dome over a square structure. Archaeological studies have yet to draw full conclusions on the South Cathedral, but the outline is clearly visible with two tall Corinthian columns still standing next to some of the walls of the exedrae, which are partly below current ground level waiting to be fully excavated. The size of it is a testament to the importance of Bosra in the early Christian period.

Not far from the South Cathedral, just south of the Nabataean Arch, lie the ruins of the Palace of the Roman Governor of Provincia Arabia, sometime referred to as the Palace of Trajan. Much of the structure, with its two floors, has survived, albeit within dwellings of a more recent period. It is thought to have been built in the early 2nd century AD on the site of the palace of the Nabataean King Rabbel II, which may have been preserved in parts within the Roman construction. In the early Christian period, the Palace was used as the residence of the Bishop of the South Cathedral of Bosra.

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Scattered around the archaeological site of Bosra are the remains of numerous other ancient structures. They are neither identified by a sign at the site, nor in any guidebook, probably because not enough research has been conducted to piece together their history. In some cases these ruins may have been churches or temples, but in others they were probably palaces or dwellings. Nevertheless, it is quite fun to wander through some of these ruins and to draw one's conclusions. Attached are a few photos.

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The modern city of Bosra spreads around the historic centre in every direction. It is a rather sleepy town composed of low lying buildings and many modern detached houses, all surrounded by agricultural fields. Near the Roman Theatre is the beautiful modern mosque, which shown in the main photo and is probably the grand mosque of the city. Due to time constraints I had no time to wander around the town, but either way it seemed to offer little to visitors.

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Completed in 512 AD by the Archbishop Julianus, the Cathedral of Bosra was dedicated to Saints Sergius, Bacchus and Leontius. It lies mostly in ruins nowadays, but its outline is discernible: a circle within a square separated by Corinthian columns and L-shaped pillars, with exedrae in the outer corners of the square. The Corinthian columns were arranged in semi-circles between the L-shaped pillars, giving the central section a quadrifoliate shape, rather than a circle, and was crowned by a 36-metre dome. The best preserved section of the structure is the deep apse facing east and its side sacristies. In mediaeval times, the apse by itself was used as a church and the frescoes that have survived on the walls are from this period (see next tip). This Cathedral is known to have played a major role in early Christian history when Bosra was an important city. The design of the Cathedral was also significant in the development of church architecture and is thought to have ultimately inspired other churches around the Roman Empire, including the Cathedral of St Helena in Aleppo, the first Hagia Sophia and the Church of Saints Sergius & Bacchus in Constantinople, and la Basilica di San Vitale in Ravenna. Archaeologists, however, are now discovering that this Cathedral was modelled after the older, and larger, South Cathedral of Bosra, which is discussed in a separate tip. While studies continue, it is yet to be known why a second Cathedral was even necessary in the city. Was it perhaps because of the existence of different Christian sects, Nestorian and Orthodox? Or was the first Cathedral damaged before the construction of the second one?