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El Jem
Arabic:
'al-jam
Town in Tunisia with about 7,000 inhabitants. El Jem is situated in the interior of central Tunisia, south of Sousse.
El Jem is famous for its colosseum, which lies in the centre of the town. The colosseum is 138 metres long and 114 metres wide. Its capacity has been estimated to about 30,000 spectators.
HISTORY
230: The colosseum in Thysdrus, as it then was called, is starting to be built. It is the African pro-consul Gordian who starts the building process, and it ends in 238 CE.
1695: The colosseum structure is seriously damaged, when Muhammad Bey blew up large parts of it to drive supporters of Ali Bey out.
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By: Tore Kjeilen
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