Saturday, December 29, 2012

Tunisia - El Jem, The Amphiteatre


L'Amphitheatre d'El DJem
Tunisie
The amphitheatre of El DJem
Tunisia
2012

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El Djem is a town in Mahdia Governorate, Tunisia, population 18,302 (2004 census). It is home to some of the most impressive Roman remains in Africa.

El Djem is famous for its amphitheater, often incorrectly called a Colosseum, which is capable of seating 35,000 spectators.

The amphitheatre at El Djem was built by the Romans around 238 and was probably mainly used for gladiator shows and chariot races. Many tourists come here to see what it was like to be inside what was once a place where lions and people met their fate. Much of it is crumbled but the essence of it still remains. It is also possible that construction of the amphitheatre was never finished.

Until the 17th century it remained more or less whole. From then on its stones were used for building the nearby village of El Djem and transported to the Great Mosque in Kairouan.

The ruins of the amphitheatre were declared a World Heritage Site in 1979.

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