:: HISTORICAL
SITES
EL
JEM:
There
is nothing remarkable in this small town to differentiate it
from the dozens of other small towns other than a most
remarkable monument. El Jem, 80 km south of Sousse has one of
the country’s most marvelous sights-a giant amphitheatre.
Only
slightly smaller than the Colosseum in Rome, it is better
preserved and seems much more imposing, partly because it is
situated at the end of a street of modern houses.
Built between 230AD and 238AD in what
was then the busy market town of Thysdrus, the amphitheatre
could seat crowds of more than 30,000. Even if being built
today it would be considered an impressive achievement. But
the task must have been gargantuan without modern construction
equipments. Blocks of sandstone were transported from quarries
32km (20 miles) away while water was carried 16km (10 miles)
through an underground aqueduct. It is in deed an
architectural marvel.
The amphitheatre was used both for
festivals and for dawn to dusk gladiatorial contests when
petty criminals were pitted against wild animals in fights to
the death.
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