Amphitheater of El Djem

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Amphitheater of El Djem
UNESCO world heritage UNESCO World Heritage Emblem
El Djem Amphitheater aerial view.jpg
Aerial view of El Djem with amphitheater (around 1986)
National territory: TunisiaTunisia Tunisia
Type: Culture
Criteria : (iv) (vi)
Surface: 1.37 ha
Buffer zone: 26.42 hectares
Reference No .: 38bis
UNESCO region : Arabic states
History of enrollment
Enrollment: 1979  ( session 3 )
Extension: 2010

The amphitheater of El Djem is the best-preserved amphitheater in North Africa and with an estimated capacity of 35,000 spectators, it is also the second largest after that of Carthage . Its ruins are in the village of El Djem in central Tunisia , where the ancient city of Thysdrus was located. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979 .

architecture

Exterior facade
from within

The building, erected in 238 AD, is free-standing, without foundations and made of stone blocks. It is modeled on the Colosseum in Rome , but not an exact copy. The major axis is 148 meters long, the small one is 122 meters long. The facade consists of three superimposed rows of arcades in the Corinthian and composite style . On the inside, a large part of the supporting infrastructure for the rows of seats has been preserved. The wall of the podium , the arena and the underground passages are also still intact .

Registration as a world heritage site

The amphitheater of El Djem was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a cultural heritage site in 1979 by decision of the third session of the World Heritage Committee.

In 2010, a buffer zone with an area of ​​26.42 hectares was set up to protect against modern buildings around the amphitheater.

In the reason for the entry it says u. a .:

The amphitheater of El Djem is an outstanding testimony to Roman architecture, especially the monuments built for spectator events in Africa. ... This architectural and artistic work, which was built around 238 AD, represents an important milestone in understanding the history of Roman Africa . The amphitheater of El Djem also testifies to the prosperity of the small town of Thysdrus (today El Djem) at the time of the Roman Empire.

The entry was made on the basis of criteria (iv) and (vi).

(iv): The amphitheater of El Djem is one of the rare monuments of its kind and unique in Africa. It was not built on a slope, but on flat ground and is supported by a complex arch system. The monument of El Djem is one of the finest examples of Roman amphitheater architecture and almost equal to that of the Colosseum in Rome.

(vi): The construction of an elaborate and complex building in a distant province designed for popular spectacles is characteristic of Imperial Roman propaganda .

protection

The amphitheater is protected by Law 35-1994 “for the Protection of Archaeological and Historical Heritage and Traditional Arts”, as well as a decree limiting the height of buildings within 300 meters to 5 meters. It is managed by the National Heritage Institute and an agency that takes care of commercial use and presentation.

The building was added on January 26, 1893 with the number 53-3 in the list of Tunisian cultural monuments ( Classement d'immeubles à titre de monuments historiques ).

Web links

Commons : Amphitheater of El Djem  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Thysdrus, Amphitheater 1. In: Amphi-Theatrum ; accessed on April 3, 2020.
  2. ↑ a b c d e Entry on the website of the UNESCO World Heritage Center ( English and French ).
  3. ↑ Decision: CONF 003 XII.46 - Consideration of Nominations to the World Heritage List. UNESCO World Heritage Center, 1979, accessed March 21, 2020 .
  4. ^ Décret du 26 Janvier 1893 (9 Redjeb 1310). Retrieved April 3, 2020 (French).

Coordinates: 35 ° 17 ′ 47 "  N , 10 ° 42 ′ 25"  E