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Archaeological Site of Ancient and Early Christian Nikopolis


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Ancient Nikopolis is an incredibly impressive location to visit in Preveza. Apart from this, there are a number of places to see in Preveza. For your vacation, you can easily reach Preveza by air as there are numerous flights to Preveza from several locations.

The site is situated in south western Epirus and spans 900 hectares. Nikopolis was created by Octavianus Augustus in 31 B.C. post the battle of Actium. The city at the time had exclusive financial and political privileges. It even had ownership of a mint. After a 4 year period the city lived up the Actia that included colorful festivities including athletics, musicals and race competitions. Several intellectuals during that period, like Epictetus, were there to view the gathering at Nikopolis.

The initial systematic excavations were started from 1913 to 1926. The excavations were initiated by the Archaeological Society as ordered by Al. Philadelpheus. These were carried on further by two professors named A. Orlandos and G. Soteriou till 1938. The Second World War interrupted the excavation activity tremendously and it was finally stopped considering the harsh circumstances of the war. The activity was again resumed by A. Orlandos in 1956 and these lasted for 9 years.

The site has been able to restore several Roman monuments, especially those dating back to 1st to 4th centuries AD. These monuments include the Odeum made in 1969-1972. Another amazing monument is the north thermae that was constructed around 1973. The Nymphaeum built in 1975, the huge villa of Manius Antoninus, the large theatre and the Roman wall are some of the other fascinating creations of the olden times. The villa made for Manius was decorated with marvelous floors that can be seen even today.

The Odeum has an auditorium and is located towards the western side of the Christian wall. It also has the skene and the orchestra. Since the floor does not have a natural slope, the auditorium is supported by 3 semicircular slabs. The Odeum was built during the 1st century AD and was used for celebrations and musicals till 3rd century AD.

The Nymphaeum is situated on the western edge of the Roman walls and has 2 buildings having a simple, a rather dull facade. This is where the aqueduct ends. The aqueduct ported the water from the river named Louros to Nikopolis.

The site of Nikopolis spans several square miles and the state is encouraging excavations to dig out and reveal further monuments of the time. The region inside the Byzantine wall proves that it consisted of some basilicas as well as Christian churches that represent more like Roman buildings. It is a great place to explore for history enthusiasts and casual travelers alike.

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