Tunisia: El Jem Amphitheater

The Roman ruins of the Amphitheater of El Jem is absolutely stunning – one of the best preserved in the word. It was built around 238 AD under the Emperor Gordian III and designed for spectator events like gladiatorial games. It’s one of the largest amphitheaters in the Roman Empire, with a capacity of about 35,000 people, making it the third largest after the Colosseum in Rome and Verona. The amphitheater is oval, measures 148m by 122m and 30m high. It is constructed entirely of stone blocks without foundations – it’s free-standing – supported by a complex system of arches with three tiers of arcades with Corinthian columns. Come here around sunset time (like we did) and the entire structure gets bright orange hue in the setting sun rays. It is truly massive and stupendous, and unlike many other Roman ruin sites is not very crowded. It’s a bona fide UNESCO World Heritage site.