Roman Theatre of Kom el-Dikka

Kom El Deka (Arabic: كوم الدكة), also known as Kom el-Dikka, is a neighborhood and archaeological site in Alexandria, Egypt. Early Kom El-Dikka was a well-off residential area, and later it was a major civic center in Alexandria, with a bath complex (thermae), auditoria (lecture halls), and a theatre. Today, Kom el-Dikka is the largest and most complete above ground archeological site in Alexandria. It provides large amounts of archeological evidence of urban life in Roman Egypt, including early villas and their mosaics, and late Roman public works.

History

The Early Roman Period, dating from the 1st-3rd century AD, contains the earliest well preserved structures. In this period, Kom el-Dikka contained mainly large villas. In the late 3rd century, the area was badly damaged by a combination of Palmyrene invasion, Aurelian’s siege, and Diocletian’s repressions.

The Late Roman-Byzantine Period, dating from the 4th-7th century, saw a very changed neighborhood. Public works replaced private houses, and the site was notably dominated by a large imperial bath complex, as well as a theater and a series of auditoria. These public works were constructed together, and were intertwined in their construction. With these buildings, Kom el-Dikka served as a major civic center in Alexandria.

Current archaeological research

Archaeological research on Kom el-Dikka was initiated in 1960 by Prof. Kazimierz Michałowski. At present, the work is still conducted by a Polish-Egyptian archaeological and conservation expedition from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology University of Warsaw (PCMA UW) and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (formerly Ministry of Antiquities). The current project director is Prof. Grzegorz Majcherek from the PCMA UW.

Since 2017, tourists can visit the most important parts of the site. The archaeological park on Kom el-Dikka was designed by architect Wojciech Kołątaj, who had directed the archaeological expedition for several years and had reconstructed many of the buildings. For these achievements, he received the Professor Jan Zachwatowicz Award, presented by the Polish Committee of ICOMOS.