thumb|upright=1.25|Map of Sabratha
Sabratha (; also Sabratah, Siburata), in the Zawiya District of Libya, was the westernmost of the ancient "three cities" of Roman Tripolis, alongside Oea and Leptis Magna. From 2001 to 2007 it was the capital of the former Sabratha wa Sorman District. It lies on the Mediterranean coast about west of modern Tripoli. The extant archaeological site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.
History
thumb|A coin of Sabratha with the Punic name
Sabratha's port was established, perhaps about 500BCE, as the Phoenician trading-post of Tsabratan (, , or , ). This seems to have been a Berber name, suggesting a preëxisting native settlement. The port served as a Phoenician outlet for the products of the African hinterland.
Greeks called it Sabrata (), Sabaratha (), Sabratha ()
and also Abrotonon (). After the demise of Phoenicia, Sabratha fell under the sphere of influence of Carthage.
Following the Punic Wars, Sabratha became part of the short-lived Numidian kingdom of Massinissa before this was annexed to the Roman Republic as the province of Africa Nova in the 1st century BC. It was subsequently romanized and rebuilt in the 2nd and 3rd centuriesCE.
Emperor Septimius Severus was born in nearby Leptis Magna, and Sabratha reached its monumental peak during the rule of the Severan dynasty he founded, expanding nearly twice its previous size. The city was badly damaged by earthquakes during the 4th century, particularly the quake of 365. It fell under control of the Vandal kingdom in the 5th century, with large parts of the city being abandoned. It enjoyed a small revival under Byzantine rule, when multiple churches and a defensive wall (although only enclosing a small portion of the city) were erected. The town was site of a bishopric. Within a hundred years of the Muslim invasion of the Maghreb, trade had shifted to other ports and Sabratha dwindled to a village.
Archaeology
thumb|Archaeological Site of SabrathaBesides its Theater that retains its three-storey architectural backdrop, Sabratha has temples dedicated to Liber Pater, Serapis and Isis. There is a Christian basilica of the time of Justinian and also remnants of some of the mosaic floors that enriched elite dwellings of Roman North Africa (for example, at the Villa Sileen, near Khoms). However, these are most clearly preserved in the colored patterns of the seaward (or Forum) baths, directly overlooking the shore, and in the black and white floors of the theater baths. There is an adjacent museum containing some treasures from Sabratha, but others can be seen in the national museum in Tripoli.thumb|Theatre, 2006In 186 AD, Emperor Commodus dedicated a temple in Sabratha honoring Hercules and his father, Marcus Aurelius. The temple featured a podium structure with porticoes and apsidal rooms at the southern ends. Excavations revealed wall fragments with marble-clad lower sections and painted upper parts. One scene in the western apse showed Commodus being carried to heaven on an eagle, about to join the gods. The eastern apse's decoration is less clear, but fragments suggest an armed Dea Roma (a personification of Rome).
In 1943, during the Second World War, archaeologist Max Mallowan, husband of novelist Agatha Christie, was based at Sabratha as an assistant to the Senior Civil Affairs Officer of the Western Province of Tripolitania. His main task was to oversee the allocation of grain rations, but it was, in the words of Christie's biographer, a "glorious attachment", during which Mallowan lived in an Italian villa with a patio overlooking the sea and dined on fresh tunny fish and olives.
Erosion and weathering damage
According to an April 2016 report, due to soft soil composition and the nature of the coast of Sabratha, which is mostly made up of soft rock and sand, the Ruins of Sabratha are undergoing dangerous periods of coastal erosion. The public baths, olive press building and 'harbor' can be observed as being most damaged as the buildings have crumbled due to storms and unsettled seas. As the most common building material in Sabratah, calcarenite, is highly susceptible to physical, chemical and biological weathering (particularly marine spray), the long-term conservation of the monuments is endangered. Rising sea levels can also compromise the integrity of the site.
This erosion of the coast of Ancient Sabratha can be seen yearly with significant differences in beach layout and recent crumbled buildings. Breakwaters set in the vicinity of the harbor and olive press are inadequate and too small to efficiently protect the Ancient City of Sabratha.
Modern Sabratha
The city is home to Sabratha University. Wefaq Sabratha is the football club, playing at Sabratha Stadium.
As noted in the 2021 documentary The Beatles: Get Back, directed by Peter Jackson, the Sabratha Theater was considered as a possible location where the Beatles could hold their final live concert as a group (they instead performed their last concert on the rooftop of their Apple Corps headquarters).
Climate
Sabratha has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSh).
Gallery
thumb|Part of the International Fairgrounds in Tripoli (under Italian rule)
Panorama
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Sabratha excavation Panorama April 2004.jpg|Panoramic image of a part of the archaeological site
2006-10-14 Sebratha D Bruyere.JPG|Panoramic image of the theater of the archaeological site
</gallery>
Archaeological site
<gallery>
Image:Nymphaeum Sabratha 01.JPG|Nymphaeum
Image:Nymphaeum Sabratha 02.JPG|Nymphaeum
Image:Seaside Bath Sabratha01.JPG|Seaside therms
Image:Toilet sabratha 01.JPG|Latrines
Image:Laternies Sabratha 02.JPG|Latrines
Image:Agora Sabratha.JPG|Сouncil chamber
Image:Curia Sabratha.JPG|Curia 4CE
Image:Mosaic Peristyle house Sabratha.JPG|Mosaic in the Peristyle house
Image:Mosaic Peristyle house Sabratha 01.JPG|Mosaic in the Peristyle house
Image:Peristyle house Sabratha 01.JPG|Peristyle house
Image:Peristyle house Sabratha 02.JPG|Peristyle house
Image:Seawards bath Mosaic Sabratha.JPG|Seawards bath mosaic
Image:Inscription Capitolium Sabratha.JPG|Inscription in front of the Capitolium, 2nd centuryBCE
Image:Baptisterium Sabratha Apuleus Basilica.JPG|Basilica of Apuleus, Byzantine baptistery
Image:Pylone Basilica Apuleus Sabratha.JPG|Basilica of Apuleus, Pylone
Image:Flavius Tullus Sabratha.JPG| Fontain of Flavius Tullus at the Antonine Temple
Image:Podium Antonine Temple Sabratha.JPG|Podium at the Antonine Temple
Image:Portic Antonine Temple Sabratha.JPG|Antonine Temple
Image:Podium Antonine Temple Sabratha 01.JPG|Podium at the Antonine Temple
Image:Mausoleum of Bes (Sabratha, Az Zawiyah, Libya).jpg|Mausoleum of Bes, 2nd centuryBCE
</gallery>
The theater
<gallery>
Image:Theater Sabratha 01.JPG|Theater in Sabratha city 2nd centuryCE
Image:Thater Sabratha 02.JPG|Theater
File:Theatre of Sabratha, Libya.jpg|View of the Sabratha theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 03.JPG|Marble facing on the wall of theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 04.JPG|One of many ways inside of theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 05.JPG|Inside ways of theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 06.JPG|Ruins of theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 07.JPG|Theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 08.JPG|Theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 09.JPG|One of the few entries to theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 10.JPG|Theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 11.JPG|Bas-Relief (on bottom of stage), theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 12.JPG|Bas-Relief (on bottom of stage), theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 13.JPG|Bas-Relief (on bottom of stage), theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 14.JPG|Bas-Relief (on bottom of stage), theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 15.JPG|Bas-Relief (on bottom of stage), theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 17.JPG|Bas-Relief (on bottom of stage), theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 18.JPG|Bas-Relief (on bottom of stage), theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 19.JPG|Bas-Relief (on bottom of stage), theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 20.JPG|High relief, theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 21.JPG|High relief, theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 22.JPG|Theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 23.JPG|Plinth and capital of columns, theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 24.JPG|Capital of column, theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 25.JPG|Theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 26.JPG|Theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 27.JPG|Stairs to the stage, theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 28.JPG|Theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 29.JPG|The gate, theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 30.JPG|Architrave and capital, theater
Image:Theater Sabratha 31.JPG|Back side of theater
Image:Theater Sabratha.JPG|The gate decor element, theater
</gallery>
Museum
<gallery>
Image:Torso Emperor Sabratha.JPG|Torso of the Emperor Vespasian, or his son Titus. 1st century Museum courtyard
Image:Mosaic Sabratha 01.JPG|Mosaic. Museum
Image:Mosaic Sabratha 02.JPG|Mosaic. Museum
Image:Mosaic Sabratha 03.JPG|Mosaic. Museum
Image:Mosaic Sabratha 05.JPG|Mosaic from theater baths. Museum."Salvom Lavisse" - "Washing it's well!"
Image:Mosaic Sabratha 06.JPG|Mosaic. Museum
Image:Mosaic Sabratha 07.JPG|Mosaic. Museum
Image:Head Sabratha 01.JPG|Head. Museum
Image:Satyr Sabratha.JPG|Marble figure of a satyr. From the Forum. Museum
Image:Jupiter Sabratha.JPG|Bust of Jupiter. From the Temple of Jupiter. Museum
Image:Concordia Africanus Sabratha.JPG|Bust of Goddess Concordia from the Temple of Jupiter. Museum
Image:Candelabrum Sabratha.JPG|Marble candelabrum showing Orpheus and the animals. From Theatre Baths 3rd century Museum
Image:Head Sabratha 02.JPG|Head. Museum
Image:Decor Element Insula Sabratha.JPG|Decor element of Insula (house). Museum
Image:Mosaic Sabratha 08.JPG|Mosaic. Museum
Image:Mosaic Sabratha 09.JPG|Basilica of Justinian reconstructed in the Site Museum
</gallery>
References
Citations
Bibliography
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Further reading
- Kenrick, Philip (1986) Excavations at Sabratha 1948-1951 Malet Street: Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies,
- Matthews, Kenneth D. (1957) Cities in the Sand, Leptis Magna and Sabratha in Roman Africa University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia,
- Reynolds, Joyce M, et al. Inscriptions of Roman Tripolitania, first edition 1952 British School at Rome/second ed. 2009 King's College London.
- Ward, Philip (1970) Sabratha: A Guide for Visitors Oleander Press, Cambridge, UK,
External links
- UNESCO archaeological site of Sabratha
- Complete photo coverage of the archeological site
- LookLex article
- IRT chapter on history and epigraphy of Sabratha
- Pleiades Gazetteer entry on ancient Abrotonum/Sabratha
fr:Sabratha