Daraa Governorate, southern Syria · Syria
A black-basalt city that was the capital of Rome's province of Arabia, with a 15,000-seat theatre so well preserved because it was turned into a medieval fortress.
Photo: Dosseman · CC BY-SA 4.0
Bosra, or Bosra al-Sham, lies on the edge of the volcanic Hauran plain in southern Syria, close to the Jordanian border. It was a Nabataean town and, after the Romans annexed the Nabataean kingdom in 106 CE, it became the capital of the province of Arabia, at the start of a road that led to the Red Sea. It grew into a wealthy city, and in the 3rd century it was raised to the rank of a Roman colony under the emperor Philip the Arab, who came from nearby Shahba.
Everything is built from the local black basalt, giving the city a dark and austere look. The Romans built a colonnaded street, baths, a triumphal arch and an enormous theatre, while the Byzantines added churches and the early Muslims a mosque, said to be one of the oldest still standing. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Ayyubids enclosed the theatre within a fortress, an act that preserved it almost intact.
Bosra was listed by UNESCO in 1980. It has also been a site of Christian pilgrimage since the tradition that a monk named Bahira recognised the young Muhammad here as a prophet. The old town was inhabited until the war, and was fought over for years. This page describes the history and what is known of the site's condition, and is not a guide to visiting.
Why it matters
Bosra matters because it is a rare city where Roman, Christian and Islamic architecture stand side by side, in a single, consistent stone.
A semicircular theatre with seating for around 15,000 people, built in the 2nd century CE and still with its stage building, and one of the best-preserved Roman theatres anywhere.
In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Ayyubids wrapped the theatre in towers and walls, producing a fortress that is unlike any other.
One of the oldest mosques in the world, traditionally founded during the caliphate of Umar in the 7th century, with columns reused from Roman buildings.
A large 6th-century cathedral, the Bahira monastery and a Nabataean arch show the city's mixed history.
For centuries Bosra was a stopping point on the Hajj route from Damascus to Mecca, and its market and caravanserais reflect this.
Main attractions
The following are the main monuments as they were documented before the war. It is not a visitor route.
A 2nd-century theatre with a semicircular auditorium in three tiers, a decorated stage building and a vaulted corridor, encased in the medieval citadel. It was used for festivals until the war.
A fortress of massive towers, built around the theatre in the 12th and 13th centuries in response to the Crusader threat. It has a moat, arrow slits and vaulted passages.
A mosque in the centre of the old town, with an arcaded courtyard and a minaret, traditionally dated to the 7th century, with later rebuilding. It is one of the oldest mosques in the world.
The remains of a large domed cathedral, built in 512 CE, and a monastery where, according to tradition, the monk Bahira recognised the young Muhammad as a future prophet.
A colonnaded main street, a triumphal arch, baths and a nymphaeum, from the Roman capital, and a Nabataean arch, dating from the earlier period.
Houses, madrasas and khans built of reused basalt blocks, with traditional streets. Until the war, local families lived among the ruins.
Condition and access
Bosra was in the middle of the war in southern Syria, and the site was hit by shelling, looting and the construction of military positions. Information on the present state is limited.
The old town was fought over from 2012 to 2018, with bombardment and street fighting. UNESCO reported damage to the Mosque of Omar and to parts of the citadel and the old town.
The theatre was reported to have suffered damage from shelling and from the use of the citadel as a military position, though its basic structure survived.
Illegal excavations and looting were reported across the site, and military trenches were dug into archaeological areas.
The Syrian government retook the town in 2018 under a reconciliation deal, and some restoration and repair work has been reported. The region has seen further political and security changes since December 2024.
Most governments advised against travel to Syria, including the south, at the time of writing. Check your government's current advice. This page is not a recommendation to go.
FAQ
Because it stands on the edge of the Hauran, a volcanic plain covered in basalt. The dark stone was the local building material for Nabataean, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic builders.
It is considered one of the best preserved. It survived largely because the Ayyubids fortified it, and because it was embedded in the citadel.
A Christian monastery, traditionally where the monk Bahira met the young Muhammad on a trading journey and recognised him as a prophet. It is an important site for Christian and Muslim tradition.
The old town and monuments suffered shelling, fighting and looting, but the theatre and citadel remain largely standing. Detailed information on the condition of individual monuments is limited.
Most governments advised against all travel to Syria, including the south, at the time of writing. This site does not recommend travel. Check your government's current advice.
Jerash and Amman in Jordan, Aspendos in Turkey and Palmyra's theatre are similar, and many can be visited. See our guides to Jerash and Amman in Jordan.
Keep exploring
Other sites in this overview that connect with Bosra, historically or geographically.
Damascus Governorate, Syria
Syria's capital and one of the great ancient cities: a walled old city with the Umayyad Mosque, the Hamidiyeh souk and the Street Called Straight, which came through the war with relatively limited damage.
Best known for The Umayyad Mosque, one of the great buildings of early Islam, with its mosaics, its courtyard and a shrine to John the Baptist.
Read the overview — DamascusHoms Governorate, Syrian Desert, Syria
The ruins of the Roman-era caravan city of Tadmor, with a great colonnaded street, tower tombs and temples — some of which were destroyed by Islamic State in 2015.
Best known for The Great Colonnade, a kilometre-long avenue of columns running through the desert, much of which survives.
Read the overview — PalmyraJerash Governorate, northern Jordan, Jordan
The ancient Decapolis city of Gerasa, with its arch, theatres, temples and colonnaded street still standing an hour north of Amman.
Don't miss The Oval Plaza and the Cardo, where a column-lined Roman street runs on for several hundred metres, still rutted by chariot wheels.
Explore Destination — JerashRead next
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