El Djem

A small Tunisian market town that preserves the third-largest Roman amphitheatre in the world, built in the early 3rd century AD and capable of seating up to 35,000 spectators. Unlike the Colosseum in Rome, the amphitheatre at El Djem is largely freestanding and the subterranean passage system beneath the arena floor is accessible, giving visitors an unusual perspective on the mechanics of Roman spectacle production. The town itself is modest and the amphitheatre rises incongruously from the flat agricultural plain of the Sahel region. The amber-coloured stone is best photographed in the lateral light of late afternoon.