Landmark Africa
Amphitheater of El Jem
The Amphitheater of El Jem is an old stone arena in Tunisia. It has rows and rows of arches!
The Amphitheater of El Jem is a Roman arena in Tunisia, built around the year 238. It stands on flat ground and is made entirely of stone blocks. UNESCO says it could hold about 35,000 spectators, which makes it one of the largest amphitheaters in the world.
Built around 238 CE in the Roman town of Thysdrus (today's El Jem), the amphitheater is a free-standing stone building on flat ground, 148 m by 122 m across, judged able to seat 35,000 spectators. UNESCO calls it one of the most accomplished Roman amphitheaters, almost equal to the Colosseum in Rome, and lists it as a World Heritage Site (1979).
Photo: Cimoi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Discover the amphitheater
The amphitheater is in El Jem, a town in Tunisia. Tunisia is a country in North Africa.
It is shaped like an oval, with seats all around the middle.
The amphitheater stands on a plain in the center of Tunisia, in the town of El Jem. In Roman times the town was called Thysdrus.
It is an oval 148 meters long and 122 meters wide. UNESCO judges that it could hold about 35,000 spectators, which makes it one of the largest amphitheaters in the world.
UNESCO places the amphitheater in a plain in the center of Tunisia, at El Jem, the Roman Thysdrus. Its long axis measures 148 m and its short axis 122 m, and its capacity is judged to be 35,000 spectators, which, UNESCO says, makes it without a doubt among the largest amphitheaters in the world.
ICOMOS's 1978 evaluation gave larger figures (162 m by 118 m, probably up to 60,000 people); this page uses UNESCO's current figures.
- Where
- El Jem, Tunisia
- Size
- 148 m by 122 m
- Seats
- about 35,000 people
- World Heritage Site
- 1979
A Roman town's great arena
The Romans built this arena around the year 238.
People from the town and the countryside came to watch shows here.
The amphitheater was built around the year 238, when this part of Africa was ruled by Rome. UNESCO says it shows how well off the small Roman town of Thysdrus was.
It was built for big public events with crowds of spectators. ICOMOS says it was probably meant to hold people from all over the countryside for kilometers around.
UNESCO dates the amphitheater to around 238 CE and says it bears witness to the prosperity of the small city of Thysdrus under the Roman Empire; ICOMOS dates it to the first half of the 3rd century and calls Thysdrus little more than a large farming town.
UNESCO describes it as a building designed for popular spectacles, and an important milestone in understanding the history of Roman Africa.
Standing on flat ground
Many old arenas were built against a hill. This one stands on flat ground!
It is held up by many stone arches.
Unlike many amphitheaters, this one is not built against a hillside. It stands on flat ground, built entirely of stone blocks, free-standing and with no foundations, held up by a system of arches and vaults.
The outside wall has three levels of arches, decorated with columns.
UNESCO calls it one of the rare monuments of its kind, unique in Africa, in not being built against a hillside but on flat ground, supported by a complex system of arches. It is built entirely of stone blocks, free-standing and without foundations.
It is modeled on the Colosseum of Rome without being an exact copy. The facade has three levels of arcades in the Corinthian or composite style.
Seats, arena and tunnels
Inside, there is a flat space in the middle called the arena.
Under it are old tunnels!
Inside, most of the stone supports for the rows of seats are still there. The wall around the arena, the arena floor and the passages underneath it are almost complete.
To protect the view of the monument, buildings within 300 meters of its center may be no more than 5 meters high.
UNESCO notes that the interior keeps most of the infrastructure that supported the tiered seating, and that the podium wall, the arena and the underground passages are practically intact.
The site is protected by Tunisian heritage law and by a decree limiting buildings to 5 m in height within 300 m of the amphitheater's center; it is managed by the National Heritage Institute together with the heritage presentation agency.
- Built
- around 238 CE
- Facade
- 3 levels of arcades
- Building limit nearby
- 5 m high within 300 m
- UNESCO criteria
- (iv)(vi)
Rows of arches
In this photo, the curved wall has three rows of arches, one on top of another.
The sky is blue and sunny.
This photo was taken on 14 April 2009. It shows the amphitheater's curved outer wall: three rows of arches stacked one above another, with columns between them and a broken top edge. Some of the highest arches are open to the sky.
UNESCO warns that new buildings around the amphitheater could spoil its setting.
The photograph (14 April 2009, by Cimoi) shows a long stretch of the curving facade with its three tiers of arcades and engaged columns, the ruined upper edge, and a railed visitor area and steps in the foreground.
UNESCO reports that restoration over time has not affected the building's authenticity, but that the setting is threatened by new constructions around the amphitheater.
Amazing facts
-
New buildings near the arena may be no more than 5 meters tall!
Buildings within 300 meters of the amphitheater's center may be no more than 5 meters high.
A decree limits building heights to 5 m over an area of 300 m from the center of the amphitheater.
-
The tunnels under the arena are still there!
The wall around the arena, the arena itself and the passages beneath it are almost complete.
The podium wall, the arena and the underground passages are practically intact.
-
This arena was built like the Colosseum in Rome, but it is not a copy!
UNESCO says it was modeled on the Colosseum of Rome, but it is not an exact copy.
Modeled on the Colosseum of Rome without being an exact copy of the Flavian construction.
Words to know
- amphitheater
- a round or oval building with rows of seats around an open space
- arena
- the open space in the middle of an amphitheater
- arcade
- a row of arches held up by columns or pillars
- spectator
- a person who watches an event
- foundations
- the lowest part of a building, under the ground, that holds it up
- World Heritage Site
- a place UNESCO lists as important for all people
Discovery challenge
-
In which country is the Amphitheater of El Jem?
The Amphitheater of El Jem stands in which country?
On a plain in the center of which country does the amphitheater stand?
- Tunisia
- Italy
- Greece
Show the answer
Tunisia
Tunisia!
Tunisia.
Tunisia.
-
About how many people could sit in the amphitheater?
How many spectators does UNESCO judge the amphitheater could hold?
What capacity does UNESCO give for the amphitheater?
- About 35,000
- About 350
- About 3.5 million
Show the answer
About 35,000
About 35,000!
About 35,000.
35,000 spectators.
-
What holds up the seats, since there is no hill?
What supports the amphitheater on flat ground?
What kind of structural system carries the building on level terrain?
- Stone arches
- Wooden poles
- Steel cables
Show the answer
Stone arches
Stone arches!
A system of stone arches.
A complex system of arches.
-
What was the Roman name of El Jem?
What was El Jem called in Roman times?
Which Roman town's prosperity does the amphitheater bear witness to?
- Thysdrus
- Pompeii
- Carthage
Show the answer
Thysdrus
Thysdrus!
Thysdrus.
Thysdrus.
-
How many levels of arches are on the outside wall?
How many levels of arcades does the facade have?
How many tiers of Corinthian or composite arcades make up the facade?
- 3
- 1
- 10
Show the answer
3
3 levels!
Three.
Three.
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For parents & teachers
What children will learn
- Explain how arches help hold up a large building.
- Describe what an amphitheater is and how its seats are arranged.
- Explain why towns protect the view around an old monument.
Recommended ages: 4 to 17 · About 15 minutes
Talk about it
- Why might builders usually put an amphitheater against a hill?
- Why would a small town build such a large building?
- Why might new tall buildings near a monument be a problem?
Try at home or in class
- Build an arch from sugar cubes or foam blocks over a curved support, then remove the support and see if it stands.
- Find El Jem, Tunis and Rome on a map of the Mediterranean.
Key vocabulary: amphitheater, arena, arcade, spectator, foundations, World Heritage Site
Where these facts come from
- Wikidata , Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
- Amphitheatre of El Jem , UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- Advisory Body Evaluation: Amphitheatre of El Jem, No 38 , ICOMOS / UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- File:Amphi El Jem.jpg , Wikimedia Commons
- UNESCO World Heritage List , UNESCO World Heritage Centre (Linked as a reference; site facts come from Wikidata)
- Wikimedia Commons , Wikimedia Foundation (Per file (public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA); see each media record)
Checked, not yet human-reviewed. Last updated November 1, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.