Sunday, August 24, 2014

EL-DJEM, A SMALL TOWN WITH HISTORY AT ITS HEART


EL-DJEM, A SMALL TOWN WITH HISTORY AT 

ITS HEART

Tags: El-Djem , history , Rome , tourism 

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El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia live
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia live
Upon arriving in this small city, you might wonder what all the fuss is about. El-Djem appears to be a fairly standard inland Tunisian town, with dusty streets, men smoking cigarettes in working-class cafes, and the same fast food choices found anywhere else in the country.
But a slight bend in the road will suddenly reveal a massive, 1,800-year-old Roman amphitheater sitting in the middle of the community.
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia live
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia live
Built around 238 A.D., it is slightly smaller than its more famous counterpart in Rome, but much of the original structure has been preserved. Tunisia’s relatively hands-off approach to such monuments means visitors have a great deal of freedom to roam about and explore the stone corridors and caves hidden around the large central arena.
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia live
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia live
El-Djem was known as Thysdrus during Roman times. The community prospered as a center of olive oil manufacture under Roman rule, and locals sought to construct a facility that could rival those in the empire’s capital.
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia live
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia live
The structure is 138 meters long and 114 meters wide. Visitors can roam underground passageways that once held gladiators, animals, and prisoners before they were brought into the arena for the bloody entertainment of assembled spectators.
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia live
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia live
It is estimated that the amphitheater could host 60,000 people, who would watch the day’s featured fighters dramatically raised up on platforms from below the arena floor.
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia live
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia live
UNESCO has designated it a world heritage site. The interiors of the structure are covered with etched-in graffiti, some of it over a century old.
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia live
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia live
One of the charms of el-Djem is that it is never crowded. Perhaps a few busloads of tourists will arrive, but you can freely wander around the amphitheater, rarely encountering another person. It provides an intimate connection to a time when modern-day Tunisia was part of the massive Roman Empire encircling the Mediterranean Sea.
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia live
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia live
Several levels of narrow passageways encircle the structure. Towering arches are a testament to the ingenuity and skill of the ancient builders.
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia live
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia live
Part of the structure was dismantled over the centuries, used as building material for the modern town of el-Djem. The amphitheater served as a fort for the native Amazigh people during the Arab conquest of the 600s. The western wall was destroyed by Ottoman troops in the 17th century.
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia live
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia live
In the summer, a symphonic music festival brings world-class classical music to the historic site.
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia Live
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia Live
A louage, the Tunisian term for a long-distance shared taxi, may be the quickest way to get there from Tunis, a trip running just over two hours. But it is not a popular route, and you can easily spend an hour in the station waiting for enough passengers to fill up the van so you can get on your way. Train service is also available.
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia live
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia live
El-Djem is just 60 kilometers from the coastal resort city of Sousse, and trains run regularly between the cities. It may be best to see both in the same trip, spending a morning in el-Djem and an evening in Sousse.
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia live
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia live
While el-Djem may be a small town, the massive monument at its heart will surely make a trip worth your while.
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia Live
El-Djem, Tunisia. Image credit: Tristan Dreisbach, Tunisia Live
- See more at: http://www.tunisia-live.net/2014/05/23/el-djem-a-small-town-with-history-at-its-heart/#sthash.AJSTQnTA.dpuf
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