This gallery includes images of the splendid Roman amphitheater or Colosseum of El Jem and the stunning collection of Roman mosaics housed in the archaeological Museum.
Situated in Southern Tunisia, the sleepy agricultural town of El Jem was known as Thysdrus during Roman times around the reign of Emperor Hadrian (AD 117-38) and was a thriving prosperous town, due to its olive oil production and being on an important crossroad on the Afro-Roman trade route.
Today, its claim to...
more »This gallery includes images of the splendid Roman amphitheater or Colosseum of El Jem and the stunning collection of Roman mosaics housed in the archaeological Museum.
Situated in Southern Tunisia, the sleepy agricultural town of El Jem was known as Thysdrus during Roman times around the reign of Emperor Hadrian (AD 117-38) and was a thriving prosperous town, due to its olive oil production and being on an important crossroad on the Afro-Roman trade route.
Today, its claim to fame is its magnificent honey coloured stone Roman amphitheater or Colosseum, which is the third largest in the Roman world and is one of the most impressive Roman monuments in Africa. Dating from 230-238 AD and oval shaped, its size, and splendor and preservation rivals and in some cases exceeds the Colosseum of Rome and illustrates the grandeur and extent of Imperial Rome. The ancient stadium seated over 35000 people and was used for Gladiatorial games. It was intact up until a few hundred years ago when residents started using the stone blocks for other local constructions. The Colosseum of El Jem is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The archaeological museum houses a superb and sumptuous collection of ancient mosaics that originate from the town's former Roman villas and from the amphitheatre. The museum itself is a restored Roman Villa known as the House of Africa. The mosaic collection is one of the finest of Roman antiquity.
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