El Jem

About

El Jem was founded 2000 years ago as the Roman city of Thysdrus - itself built atop a former Punic settlement. At the time, the city enjoyed a less arid climate and grew wealthy as an important center for olive oil production. By the early 3rd century, it was second only to Carthage in terms of wealth and power. Today El Jem is a small town, still surrounded by age-old olive groves, dominated by its Roman Colosseum. With a seating capacity of 35,000, it is eclipsed only by the Colosseum in Rome. As one of the largest and best-preserved Roman buildings in the world, visitors can explore from the upper decks to the subterranean tunnels where they kept the gladiators and beasts for an immersive look into the might of this legendary empire.