ver the ages, mankind has proven adept at inventing forms of entertainment to fill the leisure hours. Among the most enduring venues for amusement have been theatres and amphitheatres, which for centuries have held plays, concerts and in more vigorous moments, gladiatorial fights and other spectator sports. The impressive Amphitheatre which dominates Katara in Doha is the latest in a long line of such structures. The building blends the classical Greek concept of the theatre (or théātron) with Islamic elements in a state-of-the-art auditorium that can comfortably seat up to 5,000 people. According to Simon Keay, senior professor of Classical Archaeology at Southampton University and research professor at the British School at Rome, theatres in ancient Greece were traditionally sited near temples and were thus closely associated with religious, edifying spectacles. Plays by authors such as Aeschylus or Euripides would provide moral instruction as well as catharsis or “emotional cleansing”. If the topography allowed, the structures were built into a hillside with gradually rising seats looking
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onto a central orchestra area and a stage, on which performances were held. Many fine theatres have survived since their construction in classical times. Outstanding examples – made all the more interesting because they have remained largely unaltered – can be found at Epidavros in Greece, at Taormina in Sicily and at Aspendos in modern day Turkey, some 25 miles from the port city of Antalya. These last two were designed and built by Greek architects in Roman times, and as with all theatres acoustics, enable the human voice to be carried effortlessly to all parts of the arena. Thanks to their near perfect design there were no restricted views for the 7,000 or so spectators, but seating reflected rank, with the highest born accorded the best positions. Contrary to popular belief, the word amphitheatre actually refers to structures that were closed, with the prefix amphi meaning “around” or “on both sides”. Amphitheatres were oval or round-shaped structures with an arena in the centre. The earliest came into being in the days of the Roman republic, although it was only in imperial times that the amphitheatre as we know it came into being. Altogether around 230