EL JEM is a small town in the east of

Tunisia, 60km south of Sousse, that

houses the remains of a UNESCO

World Heritage listed Roman amphitheatre.

El Jem was formerly the

Roman town of Thysdrus, one of the

most important in North Africa after

Carthage (now the suburbs of modern

Tunis). The Amphitheatre was built

in the middle of the 3rd century AD,

but fell into disrepair, with its blocks

being used for building the surrounding

town and also the Great Mosque

in Kairouan. Declared a World

Heritage site in 1979, it was more

recently used for filming scenes from

the Oscar winning film Gladiator.