The expedition diaries Tunisia (15-28 April 2003)                               If you want to have photo or video materials about Tunisia - write us a letter.

Amphitheatre in El Jem So, we drive in the town of a delicious name El Jem. The sun is shining in an incredibly blue sky (as if the one drawn on a postcard). By the way, it is not only shining, but also is burning. However, we put faces, shoulders, arms and legs to unmerciful beams safely, having smeared ourselves beforehand with a sunburn lotion. Come, come, we miss the sun after our winter. El Jem meets us, as it should be, namely - with music. The band is likely to be a local amateur group. It's playing good, particularly, loudly. This is only a man's group. The united chain of silent Citroens entered the arena, bewitched by curious sounds of local music instruments this time. (Deaden the band by klaxon is out of the question). Now we are getting familiar with the town centre. Erected by the Romans the amphitheatre of El Jem was used as a stadium of gladiatorial fights. The extended bleachers are believed to have given room for as much as 35 000 spectators. The rich people took seats closer to the arena, poor men had to sit way up top where it was hard to see. Underneath the arena there were cellars that served as additional premises. Wild animals were kept in them, for instance. "Sent to death" were delivered to the stage therefrom by lifts. The size of this arena is imposing. But for what reason was the 35 000 seated coliseum set up almost in the middle of the desert? Roman El Jem was a large city situated at the crossroad of caravan ways. So heaps of grateful townspeople, greedy for "bread and games" were looking forward to taking a look at bloodshed from a safe bleacher. To avoid crowd and to distribute spectators to bleachers, the Romans thought up a very artful system. The amphitheatre was divided into sectors. 64 entrances lead to them. Above any of them there was a stone head at noticeable height - a God or even an animal. All along with this, any image didn't repeat. To get to a performance was possible by acquiring an entrance ticket. So, the ticket carried the image of a head from the entry you should penetrate your sector (for illiterate persons). Ancient ticket collectors would have never allowed you "percolating" through another entrance. As a result, all was arranged for getting in with no problems, not disturbing other people. Doubtless, the amphitheatre was preserved very well due to Romans who felt concern for it taking a good care of the landmark. We climbed the stairs to the highest level of theatre fast getting the best vision of the town. To reach here is not difficult if not paying attention to hung warning signs much in evidence "DANGER". They just appeal to look carefully around you and not to fall in one of the stairway apertures, even "breaches". But it's worth taking time to grasp there a very heavy videocamera. We are enjoying a tremendous view of the arena covered by Citroens, gazing at the dozy city fusing in sunbeams. Now the amphitheatre bleachers are restored well. From time to time a wide range of concerts and festivals occur there. Thought out by the ancient Romans acoustics allows hearing a coin sound fallen to the arena from the uppermost line of seats. All Citroens participating in the rally made a tour of Tunisia up to El Jem with no breakage. We can't say the same towards our new jeep "Nissan" that our film team is driving. The Nissan didn't support a difficult mountain road in the vicinity of TATAOUIN, broke and made us spend some hours to repair. Meanwhile, the roadway runs to the North, to a coastal resort area. Next: >>>  Sousse, Mahdia, Monastir

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