Tunisa - A great place to vacation

Shaun and Rayna get into shopping at the market


Easter 2006


Kairouan is defined as the holiest city of Tunisia, being the oldest Islamic settlement, having the oldest mosque in North Africa and the world’s oldest minaret. As the legend of the city goes:

In 670 AD, the general of the invading Arab forces, Oqba bin Nafi, found a golden cup in the sands here, a golden cup that he had lost in the holy well of Zamzam in Mecca a few years earlier. When picking the cup up, water sprang from the ground. This was considered a proof that there was a underground river between Mecca and Kairouan, making the water holy. Even today, the local religious traditions says that a Muslim drinking water from this well a number of times is exempted from performing the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Among the very first projects of the conquering Arabs was to built a great mosque. A city grew quickly up, and around 800 AD, Kairouan became the capital of the Aghlabid dynasty. Kairouan is a great tourist destination, being the best place in Tunisia to learn about the country's Islamic history. In addition to the Great Mosque there are a number of smaller, still very interesting and attractive, religious institutions open to non-Muslims too.






We’d heard about a coliseum that was supposed to be almost as big as the one in Rome and in better condition. It was inland from where we were staying & from the map looked close to the desert. I kept thinking what was a stadium doing here almost in the desert? When we visited it was Easter, the wind was blowing, it was hot at about 38C, and the blowing desert sand kept getting in your eyes and mouth.

There it was looming up as we approached the town center of El Jem. An ancient Roman amphitheatre that was used for gladiatorial fights. It is thought that it could hold 35 000 spectators. Under the arena there are the cellars where animals and prisoners were kept. It was impressive from even a distance. It is 148 meters long by 122 meters wide, with tiers up to 35 meters. The coliseum was constructed between 230 and 238 CE by the command of the Imperial official Gordian. Stones for its construction were hauled from the town of Salakta some 30 km away - this alone was an impressive feat.

One area of the walls is gone, and this was done in 1695 when a big hole was shot in the wall of the coliseum, in order to uncover the hiding places of dissidents against the Ottomans.

Why is it here – almost in the desert? El Jem was a large city situated at the crossroad of caravan ways. But still – why here – why not somewhere more hospitable?

Now the amphitheatre bleachers are well restored. From time to time the town hosts concerts in it because of the excellent acoustics. It is said that you can hear a coin dropped on the arena floor even from the highest lines of seats.

Any other sights in El Jem are still to be discovered, as they remain covered in sand. I heard there is another, but smaller amphitheatre, about a kilometer away. It is buried in the shifting sands of the encroaching desert and aerial photos indicate another and bigger one close to El Jem.