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tunisia:
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Name: El Jem
Address:
City: Tunis, Tunisia
What's it like?
The ancient Roman colosseum of El Jem is one of Tunisia's most popular tourist
attractions. Situated on a plateau about 130 miles south of Tunis, halfway between Sousse and Sfax, El Jem
was built around 230-238 AD. Almost as huge as the Colosseum in Rome, the structure is 138 meters long, 144 meters wide and seats
about 30,000.
El Jem was built by Gordian, Rome's African pro-consul, and since then has been used frequently as a defensive stronghold. In 1695, it
was seriously damaged when Muhammad Bey blasted a large hole to drive out supporters of his enemy, Ali Bey. The hole was widened during
a rebellion in 1850.
Visitors to El Jem are allowed to climb to the top seating tiers and down into the underground passages once navigated by ancient
gladiators and animals.
El Jem is remarkably well preserved, and is considered one of the most impressive Roman monuments in Africa. In 1979, it was named a
United Nations World Heritage site.
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