Upper tiers
Views over the arena.
Cimoi — CC BY-SA 3.0 · oatsy40 — CC BY 2.0 · Karamed22 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ivan25 — CC BY-SA 4.0
A colossal Roman amphitheatre rising over the small town of El Jem, ancient Thysdrus in the Roman province of Africa. Built around 238 AD, it held about 35,000 spectators and measures 148 by 122 metres, making it one of the best-preserved Roman stone monuments in the world. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 and is often ranked third among Roman amphitheatres after the Colosseum and Capua. It is in fact the third amphitheatre built on this spot, and its scale reflects the wealth the town drew from the olive-oil trade. You can climb to the upper tiers, wander the vaulted galleries, and go down into the cells beneath the arena, where animals and gladiators waited before being hoisted up into the ring. From the top the whole amphitheatre opens out with the town around it. In summer it hosts a symphonic music festival on unforgettable evenings. The same ticket covers the El Jem Archaeological Museum, so do not skip it. The sun is fierce, so come in the morning.
Views over the arena.
Beneath the arena.
Around the bowl.
Centre of El Jem, about 65 km south of Sousse
20 TND for non-residents since April 2026 and 8 TND for Tunisians and residents; it includes the archaeological museum.
By train on the Tunis-Sfax line or by shared taxi, about an hour. The amphitheatre is a short walk from the station.
