Ancient Nikopolis: The great theater is being restored

As a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs, the restoration programs concerning the theater's hollow have already been completed, while the restoration of the orchestra is underway. At the same time, the fixing-restoration, maintenance and remodeling work on the House of Georgios Ekdikos, the luxurious mansion of the Roman official, and on the Basilica I of Dometio are progressing at an intensive pace, while the restoration of the Gate has been completed by the Directorate for the Restoration of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Monuments of the Basilica of Alcisonos.

"The project of restoring the great theater, the house of George and the very important early Christian Basilicas, is part of the overall project of highlighting the monuments of Nikopolis" said the Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni in her recent autopsy at the archaeological site of Nikopolis and added: " The construction of the theater is part of Octavian's building program and is linked to the revival of the "Aktions", games in honor of Apollo. The proposal to restore and restore the stage building and the backstage of the theater follows the ancient building system according to Roman standards and aims to protect, highlight and reuse the monument. The restoration project in the theater's orchestra is also underway. The resources for the project in the large theater come from the Epirus Regional Operational Program of the NSRF 2014-2020 and 2021-2027 and I want to thank the regional governor Alexandros Kahrimanis for our excellent cooperation all these years. The work on the other monuments of Nikopolis is financed by the Ministry of Culture with resources from the Recovery Fund. The holistic promotion of Nikopolis, a particularly extensive and important archaeological site, is a priority for the Ministry of Culture. Our goal is to initiate the candidacy of Nikopolis for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List."

Ancient Nicopolis was built by Augustus Octavian, according to the Roman rectangular urban planning system in honor of the gods for his victory against Mark Antony and Cleopatra in the naval battle of Actium, in 31 BC. The Theater in the 2nd century AD it became more luxurious than the original, with a taller stage building and a perimeter gallery. It had the capacity to accommodate 8,000 spectators and with the maximum utilization of the space 10,000 spectators.

The House of Ekdikos Georgios, a large and luxurious town house is developed in a hill, surrounded by four streets and occupying a building island, approximately 9,000 sq.m. On the mosaic floor of the house, the name of Ekdikos Georgios, the official who was charged with defending the rights of the citizens against the state, is witnessed. Based on the structural systems, three building phases are recognized from the 1st c. until the beginning of the 7th c. A.D.

Basilica I, known as Dometius' Basilica, after the name of two homonymous bishops - according to inscriptions on its mosaic floors - was dedicated to Saint Demetrius. Its construction by the first Dometius dates back to around the middle of the 6th century, while the completion of the voting of the temple is placed by his successor of the same name on the episcopal throne, in 550-575.

The Second Basilica, also known as the Alcisonos Basilica, is part of a wider ecclesiastical complex of approximately 6,000 sq.m. Its construction dates back to the middle or the second half of the 5th century AD and is associated with the bishop Alkisonas. Due to its size and luxurious construction, it is considered to have been the episcopal seat of Nikopolis.