Amphitheatre of Serdica

The Amphitheatre of Serdica was an amphitheatre in the Ancient Roman city of Ulpia Serdica, now Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria [1]. Discovered in 2004 and the subject of excavations in 2005 and 2006, the ruins of the amphitheatre lie on two adjacent sites in the centre of modern Sofia [1]. The amphitheatre was built in the 3rd–4th century AD on top of a 2nd–3rd century theatre, which had been ravaged by the Goths [1]. However, the amphitheatre remained in use for less than a century and was abandoned by the 5th century [1]. As evidenced by coin and ceramic findings, including a rare bronze medallion of Antinous, the amphitheatre was constructed on top of the theatre ruins in two stages during the late 3rd and early 4th century CE [1]. In terms of architecture, the amphitheatre was comparable to the Arènes de Lutèce in modern Paris, France, and was designed for a maximum attendance of more than 20,000 up to around 25,000 [1]. Like arenas in the Mediterranean region, the Amphitheatre of Serdica has an east–west orientation [1].