Skip to main content

El Jem

There things to see in Tunisia that are not related to Star Wars!

El Jem is a town south of Tunis that contains the third largest Roman colosseum in the world. It is well preserved, and well worth a visit (because it isn’t as crowded as the colosseum in Rome, and you can wander all over it).

This is the road leading to the colosseum from the train station.

Road to El Jem colosseum

As with any attaction, there are many gift shops nearby. However, this one is particularly attractive.

Gift shops

The southern part of the colosseum is the most well preserved.

Colosseum
Colosseum arches

This colosseum is used for concerts in summer, which is why the northern seating has been restored.

Colosseum

This cross section clearly shows how the colosseum contains a series of concentric passages that run all the way around it.

Colosseum

This is the outer passage.

Passage

This is an inner passage.

Passage

This is the inner most passage.

Passage

Ruins showing the inner most passage and some outer walls.

Colosseum

In the ground are several of these stones with slits in them. They form vents which provide air and light into the underground passages. Obviously, not much light gets through, so would have been very dark.

Vents

These are the chambers underneath the middle of the colosseum. It is very bright because a metal grate has replaced what used to have been a stone roof.

Underground chambers

The strip down the middle is a metal grate over the underground chambers.

Colosseum
Colosseum
Colosseum

View of El Jem from the colosseum. The train station is the white building at the end of the street (with the blue windows and slightly to the left).

El Jem

This is a view from the top of the colosseum. As you can see, the colosseum is the highest structure in modern El Jem.

Colosseum and El Jem
Colosseum at El Jem