The Roman theatre
From Hadrian's reign.
Mister No — CC BY 3.0 · Stotosenik — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Buli — CC0 · Daniela Stefanoska — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany — CC BY-SA 2.0
Heraclea Lyncestis is an ancient city about 2 kilometres south of Bitola, founded by Philip II of Macedon in the middle of the 4th century BC and named after the hero Heracles, to control one of the main routes between Illyria and Macedonia. Under the Romans the Via Egnatia, the road linking Byzantium with Rome, passed through it, and the city stayed wealthy. Its best-known monument is the Roman theatre built under the emperor Hadrian on a hill in the centre of town and found only in 1968, with animal cages and a tunnel. In the early Byzantine period Heraclea was an important bishop's seat, and from that time come a small and a great basilica and the bishop's residence; the three aisles of the Great Basilica are covered with rich mosaics of plants and animals, counted among the finest examples of early Christian art. The city was gradually abandoned after an earthquake in 518. There is a small entry fee in denars, per visitor reports, and some mosaics are covered in winter to protect them, so spring to autumn is the best time to go. The site is exposed to the sun, so bring water and a hat in summer.
From Hadrian's reign.
In the Great Basilica.
The old road to Rome.
About 2 km south of central Bitola
No, some are covered in winter to protect them, so it is best to visit between spring and autumn.
