I have posted about El Jem before, but I can't express enough how awe inspiring this place is, Colleseums are pretty amazing, to think that they aren't that different from the modern stadium, which means it's largely unchanged for about 2000 odd years.
But then this one is so much better than the one you are thinking about it Rome (I've been to both trust me). There is something just magical about being in this place, understanding it's history, being able to stand almost alone in a place this big.
I should mention I stood almost alone in a few stadiums in my life, some much larger than this - the MCG for instance which holds 100,000 people and they all have that some feeling of immenseness, and the sense that you a so alone in it. I can't imagine what it's like to perform this one of the stadia, with that many people being focused on you.
Anyway back to El Jem. I put this in the last post but the reason there is a Roman Style Colleseum in Northern Africa is that Modern Day Tunisia, was ancient time Carthage which was conquered by the Romans, and when you conquer a place you build the things you like, including of course you own stadium for sport.
This was then used after the Romans had been defeated by the Goths and then the Byzantines as a fort, a quarry and a few other things.
But now it is one of the most impressive things that I've seen on my travels and I can express enough how you absolutely go visit here and Tunisia in general, it's like a 2 hour flight from Europe, so easy (if you are already in Europe) it's a far distance from Australia, but then again so are most things.
