El Jem

El Jem occupies the site of ancient Thysdrus in the Tunisian Sahel. Its great Roman amphitheater rises above the plain, a massive stone arena built in the third century when the town prospered from olive cultivation. Long after the Roman period, its walls could still serve as a refuge. Around 1695, during a revolt against the taxation of the Muradid ruler Muhammad Bey, part of the exterior was damaged.