PUBLIC THE ARCHITECTURE OF CYRENAICA 3101-DK0177

Cyrenaica, a part of Eastern Libya, a region of early Greek colonisation, was densely populated until the Arab invasion. Major cities of the region formed the so-called Pentapolis, or a grouping of 5 cities - Cyrene, Apollonia, Teucheira, Berenike and Barca, which came to be replaced by Ptolemais. These wealthy cities, founded on an orthogonal street grid, usually had centres built up with monumental architecture, as well as private houses decorated with mosaics and wall paintings, which clearly show a mixture of strong Greek traditions and Roman influence. Throughout the course we will analyse architecture, not only of the abovementioned cities, but also of other, smaller localities. The first semester will deal with architecture of monumental public buildings: walls and gates, triumphal buildings (arches, tetrastyloi), temples and Christian basilicas, "salles de spectacles" (theatres, circuses, amphitheatres). The second semester will be devoted to private architecture. We will analyse plans of houses from the Hellenistic Period to the Late Roman times, including the latest research results of the Archaeological Mission at Ptolemais. We will also discuss burial grounds that lay around cities, with their diverse forms of rock-cut and free-standing tombs. The two semesters compliment each other, but it is also possible to sign up for only one. The course is recommended for persons applying to participate in excavations at Ptolemais.