Unique amphitheater in El Jem | Photo: Oksana Fain
Roman amphitheater in El Jem (ancient city of Thysdrus, northern Tunisia) is one of the best-preserved buildings of this type from the times of the Roman Empire. It was built in the years 230-238 CE, and the initiative to create the building probably came from the proconsul and the later emperor Gordian I. Since 1979, the building has been on the UNESCO list of protected monuments.
The building is one of the best-preserved Roman stone monuments. The amphitheater in Djemaa had a capacity of 35,000 spectators – so it was smaller than the Colosseum, which had a capacity of about 50,000. Mainly gladiator fights and chariot races took place in the arena of the facility.
The amphitheater had dimensions of 148 by 122 meters.
- Photos: Oksana Fain
