It is undoubtedly the most impressive roman monument in africa, its massive. The roman coast is the first guide dedicated to the roman heritage sites of modernday morocco. Until the 17th century, the amphitheater remained more or less whole. Description is available under license ccbysa igo 3. Silver dolphin books silver dolphin books publishes awardwinning activity, novelty, and educational books for children. Its big dome can accommodate at most 35,000 spectators, making it the third largest amphitheater in the world, next to the coliseum of rome and the eroded amphitheater in capua. The hotel is within walking of the amphitheatre and cafes and restaurants. Everything around the amphitheater might be quaint, but this is the center piece of the whole area and the fact that it is one of the most wellpreserved roman attractions in the world. Ancient amphitheaters in roman monuments bible history online. This unesco world heritagelisted colosseum was the secondlargest in the roman world after romes. The ancient town of kairouan, tunisia is located within a semiarid region, prone to drought, without any nearby rivers or natural water sources. Ancient thysdrus, tunisia mediterranean heritage by slim, hedi and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Modeled after the famous colosseum of rome, this impressive monument is one of the most accomplished examples of roman architecture of an amphitheatre, almost equal to that of the colosseum itself.
Initially, it was made of tufa, a type of limestone and then reconstructed, before finally being reconstructed and enlarged. It is listed by unesco since 1979 as a world heritage site. Visit canterbury classics website portable press portable press publishes fun trivia and reference books for the. Famous landmarks and historical monuments that are worth seeing. This complex was built by the romans in the reign of proconsul gordian and has an infamous history of holding gladiator shows in it. It includes one of the best preserved hippodromes, originally seating 10k spectators. Visit silver dolphin books website thunder bay press canterbury classics canterbury classics publishes classic works of literature in fresh, modern formats. Well, if we cast our minds back a couple of thousand years, this was a country that was a big player. This honeycoloured stone of this ancient entertainment complex rivals in size, beauty and preservation the colosseum of rome itself and is proof that the influence of the motherland thrived even in its farflung corners. The seating area is called the cavea latin for enclosure. Turkish landmarks and landscapes in 2020 amphitheatre of. It is one of the best preserved roman stone ruins in the world, and is unique in africa. Beyond sousse the olive trees cease, and the traveller enters a wide and treeless plain, part of the district called essahel, or coast region extremely fertile when an unusual quantity of rain has fallen, but at other times almost. The cavea is formed of concentric rows of stands which are either supported by arches built into the framework of the building, or simply dug out of the hillside or built up using excavated material extracted during the excavation of the.
Many of these landmarks are cultural icons that reflect the unique history of different countries around the world. Caesarea maritima, built by herod 10bce to honor caesar. Its at this point when many people question just why such a large amphitheatre was chosen for tunisia. However, a nice approach is from the southeast corner, via rue ali belhareth. Its seating capacity has been estimated at up to 35,000 considerably more than the population of the town itself. The estimated capacity is 35,000, and the sizes of the big and the small axes are respectively 148 metres 486 ft and 122 metres 400 ft. Amphitheatre side view the 1895 murray handbook for travellers in tunisia and algeria gave this description of the landscape surrounding ancient thysdrus. The amphitheatre is built of stone blocks, located on a flat ground, and is exceptionally well conserved. This building is its secondcentury amphitheater, whose impressive remains preserve not only the seating areas but also the working features of the arena. The roman amphitheater in eljem is the largest in africa and the fourth largest worldwide.
Hotel julius a new hotel that offers clean rooms and friendly service at a reasonable price. Famous landmarks and greatest wonders around the world. Due to the proximity of some resorts sousse, monastir, mahdia, sfax, getting here will not be difficult. Its decline was then aggravated by the cannon fire in 1695 and again in 1850 when troops under the bey of tunis put down rebel forces holding out in the amphitheatre. It prospered in the 2nd century, when it became an important centre of olive oil manufacturing for export. The list includes landmarks that you should visit at least once in your life. This architectural and artistic creation built around 238 ad, constitutes an important milestone in the comprehension of the history of roman africa. Stop for a tea or coffee across the street, and marvel at the exterior before venturing inside. Built after the conquest of carthage a symbol of the roman power, no doubt it still stands after so many centuries. Discover 15 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in tunisia from leftover star wars sets to monument to mohamed bouazizi. Another, but smaller amphitheatre, can be seen around a kilometre away. This 3rdcentury monument illustrates the grandeur and extent of imperial rome. Caesarea maritima, built by herod 10bce to honor caesar augustus. As of april 2018 a room cost td 120 for a double including breakfast.