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It took approximately eight years to construct the colosseum. It happened some time between AD 230 and AD 238. The timing suggests that it might have been ordered by the Imperial official called Gordian. The city was rather wealthy at that time, and it has been speculated the city merchants paid for the arena themselves to impress visitors. This might have been the reason why the structure was not richly decorated, as it would have cost much more money. However, certain local scholars claim that fine decorations and sculptures could not have been made as the stone used to built the colosseum was too soft. It has been estimated that the amphitheatre could sit about 45,000. This in the town of Thysdrus with only 30,000 inhabitants. At the size of 65 metres long and 39 metres wide, it was large enough to host more than one show at a time. In April 2010, the entry to the colosseum was TND8 (£4), plus TND1 for a camera.

Address: Amphitheatre El Jem Mahdia Tunisia Phone: + 216 Price: budget