The Roman Odeon is one of the most important public buildings of the ancient city of Kos. It is located south west of the archaeological site, west of the restored Roman house (Casa Romana) and northwest of the ancient theater. It was constructed in the 1st – 2nd AD in order to host musical competitions. It also functioned as the seat of the Senate of Kos who had no political powers, but mainly attributed honors to distinguished citizens of the island.
The building could house up to 750 people. It had fourteen rows of marble seats, nine of which have been restored. The stage is an irregular pentagon and consists of two parts, the foreground and background, which are connected through three entrances. On both sides of the stage there were two doors leading to the aisles. In the arcades of the Odeon there are marble statues such as the statue of Hippocrates which is now exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of Kos.
The excavation of the Odeon took place in 1929 by the Italian archaeologist L. Laurenzi. The first phase of the restoration work began in 1929 by the Italian Archaeological Mission, while between the years of 1994-1999 the Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities and the Department of Restoration of Ancient Monuments started to restore the building. Nowadays, the Oden houses exhibitions of photography financed by the 3rd Community Support Framework and cultural events organized by locals.
Free admission.
