Ancient Macedonian Theatre of Ohrid — Attraction in Municipality of Ohrid

The Ancient Theatre of Lychnidos, located in the city of Ohrid in present-day North Macedonia, is the only known Hellenistic-style theatre in the country. It was built around 200 BC, during the Hellenistic period, when Greek cultural influence was strong throughout the Balkans following the campaigns of Alexander the Great. The theatre reflects both the architectural style and cultural values of that era, characterized by open-air performances, strong acoustics, and integration into the natural landscape.

The exact identity of the builders is not recorded, but it is widely believed that the theatre was commissioned by the wealthy elite of Lychnidos, a flourishing city that served as a regional cultural and administrative center. Its placement between two hills—Gorni Saraj and Deboj—not only provided excellent acoustic conditions but also shielded the audience from strong winds. The theatre had a semi-circular orchestra and a tiered seating area, typical of Hellenistic design, with an estimated capacity for several thousand spectators.

Originally, the theatre was used for dramatic performances and other public gatherings rooted in Greek traditions. However, after the Roman conquest of the region in the 2nd century BC, its function changed. The Romans adapted the theatre for gladiator fights and public executions, typical of Roman-style entertainment. Modifications were made to accommodate these spectacles, including safety barriers and structural changes to the stage and orchestra area.

With the spread of Christianity in the 4th century AD, the theatre fell into disuse. As the new religion gained dominance, structures associated with pagan rituals or violent spectacles were abandoned or destroyed. Local residents began dismantling the theatre, using its stone blocks to build churches, basilicas, and other early Christian structures around Ohrid. Over time, the theatre was buried under layers of soil and debris and was eventually forgotten.

The site remained hidden for centuries until its rediscovery in the 20th century. In 1935, during construction work in the area, parts of the theatre were accidentally uncovered. Systematic archaeological excavations began in 1959 and continued through the 1970s and 1980s. These excavations revealed the lower seating areas, sections of the orchestra, and several inscriptions in ancient Greek. Notably, some of the discovered stone blocks contained the names of people condemned to die in Roman games, evidence of the theatre’s transformation under Roman rule.

In 2002, a major restoration effort was launched to stabilize the structure and make it suitable for public events. Today, the theatre is partially restored and serves as one of Ohrid’s most important cultural venues. It hosts performances during the annual Ohrid Summer Festival, including theatre, music, and dance, reconnecting the monument with its original artistic purpose.

The Ancient Theatre of Lychnidos stands as a rare and valuable example of Hellenistic architecture in the Balkans. Its history—from a Greek cultural center to a Roman arena, then a forgotten ruin, and finally a modern performance venue—mirrors the broader historical transformations of the region over more than...

The theater was built at the end of the 3rd or the beginning of the 2nd century, in the period of the late Hellenism, and was intended for displaying dramatic, musical and poetry performances by the lovers of theatrical art.

The theater was built in the reputation of the famous Greek stone buildings of this kind, with a rich architectural decoration, especially the theater building that was decorated with a frieze of bas-relief plates that included scenes from the lives of the gods. On two such marble plates, which are preserved at the Ohrid Museum today, the god Dionysus is presented in association with the Muses.

Some of the then city prefects had bought and own seats in the theater, such as Crisp and Topos as great fans of theatrical art because their names still stand engraved in the stone blocks of the seats. Immediately after the Roman conquests of these regions in 148 BC, the theater was probably for a very short time adjusted to the needs of the Roman way of life. The building was rearranged in a theater with an arena of gladiatorial struggles and wild beast fights, with several of the lower row seats being demolished and several cages for animals were built, and the orchestra with honorary seats was enclosed with a firewall. Later in the upper, outer zone was built an epitheterone, which increased the capacity of the theater to 5,000 spectators.

It is thought that with the euphoria that occurred at the beginning of the 4th century from the new era, when St. Erasmus Antiochus, the first Christian missionary who came to Ohrid, converted Christianity to 25,000 people, destroyed all pagan objects in the city. Probably in the destruction of the theater, and the material from its seats and other objects was later used to build early Christian basilicas and many other sacred and profane objects.

The first assumptions that there was a theater in the ancient Lychnidus (today's Ohrid) was given by the Russian art historian Nikodim Kondakov at the very beginning of the 20th century, and already during 1935, when the first archaeological excavations were carried out, these assumptions were confirmed and the theater was partially discovered. Later, during the excavations carried out in the period 1959-1960, the exact location and the size of the theater were determined.

With systematic excavations, started in 1977 and after a six-year interruption in 1984, the places where the entrances and the theater building, the orchestra with the honorable seats and the stretch of the arena are located, and nine rows of seats were discovered.

In 1999, the project for its complete discovery and putting into operation began, and since 2001 on the stage of the open reconstructed space of the ancient theater, after twenty centuries, drama performances, musical performances and various other manifestations are held like Gala Opening of Ohrid...

The Ancient theatre of Ohrid of the Hellenistic period is located in Ohrid, Macedonia. It was built in 200 BC and is the only Hellenistic-type theatre in Macedonia.

A beautiful 2000 year old amphitheatre in the heart of old city Ohrid, located just below Samuel's Fortress and free to enter.

The theatre was constructed between hills to protect it from winds and provide incredible acoustics. It is chosen as one of the main stages where the Ohrid Summer Festival takes place.

The theatre is very well maintained and perched up on a hill with breathtaking views overlooking Ohrid, the lake and the mountains.

World famous stars have performed here, one of the most famous is Jose Carreras (a Spanish operatic tenor who is particularly known for his performances in the operas of Donizetti, Verdi and Puccini), who performed here in 2005 in front of 3.500 people, the maximum capacity.

Be sure to include Samuel's Fortress and Church of Saints Clement and Panteleimon to your walking tour, as they are all 10 minutes from each other, and all have the most wonderful views of Ohrid and full of...