El Jem

★★★ Amphitheater of El Jem (UNESCO World Heritage)

In the middle of the Tunisian steppe, in the sleepy town of El Jem, stands one of the most magnificent structures of antiquity: the third-largest amphitheater of the Roman world. It is the largest preserved after the Colosseum in Rome and the (destroyed) amphitheater of Capua — and in some respects more impressive than its Roman counterpart.

The Numbers

Feature	El Jem	Colosseum Rome
Capacity	35,000	50,000
Height	36 meters	48 meters
Built	238 AD	80 AD
Facade Preservation	★★★★ (3 stories)	★★★ (partial)
Underground	Fully accessible	Open, not accessible
Visitors/Year	~300,000	~7 million

What makes El Jem so special: The facade is almost completely preserved on three stories — three rows of arcades with Corinthian, Ionic, and Composite capitals stacked on top of each other. You can also enter the underground (hypogeum), where gladiators and wild animals once waited for their appearance — the cells, corridors, and elevator shafts are impressively well-preserved.

The history of the amphitheater is equally fascinating: Thysdrus (the Roman name) was one of the richest cities in Africa in the 3rd century — made wealthy by olive oil. The proconsul Gordian had the theater built to bolster his claim to the imperial throne. He was indeed proclaimed emperor (238 AD) but lost both the throne and his life a few weeks later.

In the 17th century, the Bey of Tunis breached the wall to drive out rebels who had entrenched themselves in the amphitheater — this gap is now the only visible damage to the otherwise perfect facade.

★★ Archaeological Museum El Jem

200 meters from the amphitheater is an excellent museum on the site of an excavated Roman villa. The mosaics here are spectacular and less crowded than at the Bardo. Particularly impressive: the Africa mosaics illustrating the wealth of Thysdrus, and the reconstructed dining room of a Roman villa with original mosaic floors.

In the garden, more mosaics and sculptures are displayed, along with a second, older, and smaller amphitheater (1st century AD) that most visitors overlook.

Practical Info:

• Amphitheater: 12 TND. Daily 8:00–18:00 (summer 7:30–19:00). In summer: El Jem Music Festival (symphony orchestra in an ancient setting!)
• Museum: 7 TND (combo ticket with amphitheater: 15 TND). Tue–Sun 9:00–17:00.
• Arrival: Louage from Sousse (1h, 2€), train from Sousse (45 min, 1.50€). El Jem is a perfect half-day trip from Sousse or on the route Sousse → Sfax.