Epirus Ancient Theaters AR

On-Site Digital Tours in the Ancient Theatres of Epirus An augmented reality tour application, available free of charge, can be used during your visit to the monumental sites of the five ancient theatres of Epirus. The app supports both predefined routes—guiding the visitor step by step—and free exploration. In each site, you can choose one of four digital characters (Archaeologist – Ancient Man – Ancient Woman – Robot) to accompany you during your tour, introducing you to the site's most important monuments. Each character brings to life a hypothetical contemporary or historical persona who, through their unique perspective, presents the key cultural and social elements of their era. At certain points along the tour, you will have the opportunity to view on your device's screen full-scale three-dimensional reconstructions of selected buildings as they stood in antiquity, digitally overlaid on their real locations. These reconstructions appear as an additional visual layer on top of the live image captured by your device's camera. In this way, using the latest technologies, you gain a vivid sense of the site's ancient splendor. It is a unique augmented reality experience that is sure to impress you. The application is part of the project "Digital Services for Monuments", through which the Region of Epirus, in close collaboration with the Ephorates of Antiquities of Arta, Thesprotia, Ioannina, and Preveza, is developing the necessary digital infrastructure along with engaging and well-documented multimedia content. The goal is to create a unified, modern ecosystem of digital experiences for the "Cultural Route of the Ancient Theatres of Epirus." The project aims to offer both residents and visitors—on-site and online—rich, accessible, and captivating tours of the five ancient theatres of the Region of Epirus: Dodoni, Nikopolis, Kassope, Ambrakia, and Gitana, as well as related points of interest along the route. It is worth noting that the 3D reconstruction models were developed under the constant supervision and scientific guidance of the staff of the respective Ephorates of Antiquities, ensuring that they accurately reflect the current findings of archaeological research and providing the project with not only practical but also scholarly value. A digital tour application for smart devices has also been developed for the entire cultural route connecting the ancient theatres. It allows users to view nearby points of interest on a smart map, according to their current location, while dynamically playing audio narratives as they pass or approach specific sites. Nevertheless, the Ancient Theatres of Epirus remain the true protagonists of the project—and rightly so. They are not only outstanding monuments but also centers of public life for centuries, places of education, worship, and social gathering. Through these digital tours, the project aspires to reconnect the public with this rich heritage, showcasing the past in an understandable, immersive, and engaging way—especially for younger generations who seek interactivity and multimedia experiences. The project was co-financed by Greece and the European Union under the Operational Programme "Epirus 2014–2020", through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and national resources.