In the
ancient city of Rome, we have the Colosseum,
but what most Africans do not know
is that we have an exact lookalike of the Colosseum in Rome right here in
Africa, Northern Africa to be precise. This wild Wednesday, we explore the Amphitheatre of El Djem, Tunisia.
El Djem is
famous for its amphitheater, often incorrectly called a Colosseum (roughly
translated from Latin as 'that thing by the Colossus'). The Amphitheatre of El Djem bears outstanding witness to Roman architecture, notably monuments built
for spectator events, in Africa. Located in a plain in the centre of Tunisia,
this amphitheatre is built entirely of stone blocks, with no foundations and free-standing.
In this
respect it is modelled like the Colosseum of Rome without being an exact copy of
the Flavian construction. Its size (big axis of 148 metres and small axis 122
metres) and its capacity (judged to be 35,000 spectators) make it without a doubt
among the largest amphitheatres in the world. Only the Flavian Amphitheater in
Rome (about 50,000 spectators) and the ruined theatre of Capua are larger.
The
amphitheatre at El Djem was built by the Romans under proconsul Gordian, who
was acclaimed Emperor at Thysdrus and
was mainly used for gladiator shows and small chariot races.
Its design
comprises three levels of arcades of Corinthian or composite style. Inside, the
monument has conserved most of the supporting infrastructure for the tiered
seating. The wall of the podium, the arena and the underground passages are
practically intact. This architectural and artistic creation built around 238
AD, constitutes an important milestone in the comprehension of the history of
Roman Africa. The Amphitheatre of El DJem also bears witness to the prosperity
of the small city of Thysdrus (current El DJem) at the time of the Roman
Empire.
Restoration
work carried out over time has not affected the essential functional and structural
authenticity of the property. The
authenticity of the setting is however threatened by the appearance of new
constructions around the amphitheatre.
Today the
city of El Djem has nearly 18,000 inhabitants and receives a huge amount of
tourists because of the Roman amphiteater. Many tourists go there to see what
it was like to be inside what was once a place where lions and people met their
fate. Much of it is crumbled but the essence of it still remains. It is also
possible that construction of the amphitheatre was never finished.
The ruins of
the amphitheatre were declared a World Heritage Site in 1979. It hosts the
annual Festival international de musique symphonique d'El Jem.
A structure
WITHOUT A FOUNDATION from 238AD still standing till now!!!!!!!!
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