El Jem Colosseum: The Roman Empire existed in Africa

El Djem is a city in Mahdia Governorate, Tunisia, with a population of over 20 million. Djem, once called Disderus, flourished in the 2nd century AD and became an important center for olive oil production and export. On March 22, 238 AD, the governor of the Roman province of Africa (roughly covering the Mediterranean coastal areas of northern Tunisia and western Libya today) declared himself emperor in the newly built El Jem Colosseum, and was known in history as Gordian I. From then on, Disderus replaced Hadrum (now Sousse Medina, Sousse, Sousse Governorate) as the second largest city at that time. It is unknown how much damage the army did to the Colosseum when Gordian committed suicide after his defeat. But Disderus became a ruin and never recovered. The entire Colosseum was built with stones measuring 1 meter by 0.8 meters. It is 36 meters high, has three floors, and can accommodate 35,000 people. It was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1979. I have to say that the Colosseum is the most worthwhile attraction to visit in North Africa and Tunisia.