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The Great Theatre of Epidaurus
The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus is a theatre in the Greek city of Epidaurus, located on the southeast end of the sanctuary dedicated to the ancient Greek God of medicine, Asclepius. It is built on the west side of Cynortion Mountain, near modern Lygourio, and belongs to the Epidaurus Municipality. It is considered to be the most perfect ancient Greek theatre with regard to acoustics and aesthetics.
According to Pausanias, the ancient theatre was constructed by the architect Polykleitos the Younger. Pausanias praises the theatre for its symmetry and beauty. At a maximum capacity of 13,000 to 14,000 spectators, the theatre hosted music, singing and dramatic games that were included in the worship of Asclepius. It was also used as a means to heal patients, since there was a belief that the observation of dramatic shows had positive effects on mental and physical health.
Today, the monument attracts a large number of Greek and foreign visitors and is used for the performance of ancient drama plays. The first modern performance conducted at the theatre was Sophocles's tragedy Electra. It was played in 1938, directed by Dimitris Rontiris, starring Katina Paxinou and Eleni Papadaki. To visit The Great Theatre of Epidaurus and other attractions in Epidavros, use our Epidavros trip itinerary tool.
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Tours to The Great Theatre of Epidaurus
The Great Theatre of Epidaurus reviews
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We arrive here on a winter afternoon, following a countryside road, and we are welcomed by the Epidaurus museum. The main course is the theatre, which really lives up to the expectations. Perfect...
We arrive here on a winter afternoon, following a countryside road, and we are welcomed by the Epidaurus museum. The main course is the theatre, which really lives up to the expectations. Perfect... more »
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We visited the site on Easter Sunday because their website said it would be open...it wasn’t! Several other potential visitors there too.
We visited the site on Easter Sunday because their website said it would be open...it wasn’t! Several other potential visitors there too. more »
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If you plan on going there, read this. There are some narrow stairways, and a few wider ones. The narrow is for climbing up: 1 person falls, the 1 behind can support him. The wider ones are for the descent/exit. It is wider to let people exit quickly, but also to allow 1 or two persons support a disable person, with a wide strip without stairs, called the "landing", that's when you fall, you land and not keep falling! Anther thing worth noting is that if you stand anywhere on the podium you will be heard clearly even if you are high up, and thus far away, due to the acoustic science, which is enhanced by those trees on top of the hill; they didn't just happen to be there, rather science. My best feature? Stand up on the stage face the crowds, keep talking while backing up. When you cross into the slightly darker sandstones, no one will hear you. That's where all the commotion "behind the scene" is happening. The spectators wouldn't hear it. It is one of the best amphitheaters in the world. Enjoy
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I recommend getting a public bus here and avoid taking a tour if you want to stay and enjoy the theater for a while. We went on a tour and only had 20 minutes to enjoy the theater, with no chance to see the museum or surrounding site.. you can Google all the information they share on the tour. Go by yourself and stay as long as you want. It’s marvelous!
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