Ruins of the Roman Amphitheater at Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa,
Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa (or
Colonia Ulpia Traiana Augusta Dacica Sarmizegetusa)
was the capital and the largest settlement in Roman-controlled Dacia
(mainly corresponding to modern Romania and Moldova), with its name
partially derived from
Sarmizegetusa – the former religious and
political center of Dacia. Founded during the reign of Trajan, possibly
between 106-107 AD – when the Roman Empire
stretched to its greatest extent,
the fortified walls of Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa encompassed an area
of over 32 hectares. And since the city was governed under direct Roman
rule because of its prestigious
Ius Italicum status, the
settlement was home to a profusion of Roman-architecture styled
structures, including a forum, amphitheater, temples and even private
houses. Unfortunately, the Roman-Dacian capital was destroyed by the
invading Goths in 4th century. But now like a proverbial phoenix, Ulpia
Traiana Sarmizegetusa is all set to ‘rise’ from its ruins – with a
definitive plan to restore and preserve many significant sections of the
ancient capital.
Proposed reconstruction of the Amphitheater.
The EUR 4.5 million restoration project has apparently scored all the
government approvals, while the documentations for EU funding have also
been successfully submitted. According to Liliana Tolas, director of
the Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilisation (MCDR), the organization
that watches over the eminent archaeological site –
We’ve decided to implement this project because we want
to save the cultural heritage and to highlight it. It was a hard
journey. We’ve engaged architects, archaeologists, professors –
practically all those who have conducted systematic archaeological
research at Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa over the years. It took one year
to get the approvals.
Now the good news for history aficionados is that is project will go
beyond just preserving many of the ruins; the experts are also looking
forth to fully reconstruct the Amphitheater and the Forum within the
confines of Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa. In fact, the first phase of the
restoration will deal with the preservation and refurbishing of many of
the individual Roman structures – over a period of two years. The
subsequent second phase will then entail the physical rebuilding of the
Amphitheater and the Forum.
With these structural accomplishments, the Roman Amphitheater at
Sarmizegetusa could actually cater to over 5,000 people for outdoor
cultural events. Furthermore, the restoration project is also estimated
to be commercially viable in the long run, with museum representatives
expecting the current figure of 90,000 annual visitors (to
Sarmizegetusa, Dacia) to go up to a million visitors per year.
Proposed reconstruction of the Amphitheater.
Proposed reconstruction of the Roman Temple.
Source/ Image Credits (except Featured Image): Libertatea / Via: Romania-Insider
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