Reviving Ancient Scythopolis The ancient Roman-Byzantine city of Scythopolis in Israel was destroyed in 749 CE by an earthquake, but new life has been given to the area thanks to a multi-sensory multimedia project in the nearby archeological site of Beit She'an.
The $3 million project is a joint initiative of Israel’s Ministry of Tourism through the Israel Government Tourist Corporation, the Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority, and the Beit She'an Municipality. The attraction is expected to bring in 400,000 visitors annually and was created by C-nario and Disk-In Pro.
Called She'an Nights and based on C-nario Entertainer, which manages a wide array of projectors, lamps, and loudspeakers, the unique installation was planned and installed by Disk-In Pro, and is scattered across the remains of Scythopolis. Beginning with a multimedia introductory presentation summarizing the history of Scythopolis, includes special effects and Roman-style images of daily scenes projected on ancient walls, columns, and spaces are featured. The visitors experience the life of the ancient city, as well as the earthquake that destroyed it.
Following the introductory presentation, visitors walk through the streets of Scythopolis with its marble columns, stone pavements, bathhouses, and mosaics, while watching images of people and objects projected on the shops, pillars, and building remains of the city streets. The images are accompanied by voices and music, reviving the atmosphere and daily life of an old Roman-Byzantine town. In Scythopolis’ ancient theatre, visitors can watch a Roman performance of dancing and music, as well as an audience applauding the performers—all projected on the theatre seats.
“The project revives the archeological park and educates visitors about the site’s history,” said Nissim Bados, manager of Beit She’an National Park. “It transports visitors 2,000 years back in time, providing an authentic experience of walking through the streets of Scythopolis.”
“We used the latest lighting, sound, and seamless technologies, and a unique show control mechanism based on C-nario Entertainer to synchronize all components of the show through optical fibers,” notes Moshe Yeyni, CEO of Disk-In Pro. “We created a scenario that reconstructs the life at Scythopolis and used a unique combination of animations and actors to create the images that bring Scythopolis to life.”
Adds Yael Elstein, C-nario’s vice president of marketing, “We helped Disk-In Pro create the ultimate viewer experience, enabling people to walk across history.” “The She'an Nights project is an extraordinary example of how advanced technology can be harnessed to revive the past, and is an important milestone in heritage enrichment. It can serve as a model for other archeological sites worldwide.”