El Jem Roman Amphitheater, El Jem, Tunisia

An ancient arena

Smack in the center of El Jem, Tunisia, stands an ancient entertainment hub that happens to be one of Africa's best preserved Roman ruins. Built in the 3rd century CE when the city was known as Thysdrus, the Amphitheatre of El Jem sat as many as 35,000 spectators, making it one of the largest amphitheaters in the empire despite its remoteness. After the public's taste for gladiator battles faded, the structure was used as a fort, apartment complex, granary, and more throughout the centuries, becoming a UNESCO site in 1979.