We are self-confessed UNESCO World Heritage fans. Here in Tunisia we see in particular how meaningful this preservation by UNESCO of the "old stones" can be.
We're pretty sure that if UNESCO didn't have a hand in this, the amphitheatre wouldn't be so well preserved.
It is the best-preserved amphitheatre in North Africa and, with a capacity of an estimated 35,000 spectators, also the second largest after that of Carthage (we still have to go there on our northern route!). After the Colosseum in Rome, it is even the third largest in the world.
About 1800 years ago, Caesar had already been dead for a while, but he had founded the city and began to build this huge structure based on the Roman model. Why this city was so important in the first place, in the midst of nothing at all, is still a matter of debate today. Olive groves? Traffic routes to the Sahara? Good internet reception? Who knows?
We find a small place in the bus station, quite quietly (we think and once again underestimate the love of football and lack of volume control!) and visit the theatre almost alone. We stroll through the aisles, trudge up many steps, then later down again.
The sun shines beautifully, warms us and gives us a great afternoon light. We discover underground passages, cisterns, a great irrigation system. Our imaginations run wild, we imagine gladiator fights (Gerd, I think, briefly has the feeling of being adored by thousands. Does he seriously think he is a gladiator?), we see fights in our mind's eye and I see one thing above all: a lot of animal suffering.
On our way out, we pass a poster. And learn that thousands and thousands of slaves died here during construction. We look at each other and I say to Gerd: "Here we pay admission for the work of slaves, at the World Cup just in Qatar we despise it." What a world.
Later we stroll through the alleys of El Djem, find a café with freshly squeezed orange juice and decide that today was a good day all in all.
Merci for "travelling with us
We are thinking about taking another break from travelling in the summer and visiting our families in Germany and Switzerland. One of the ideas is to organise a Lecture about our long journey to the Persian Gulf to prepare. If you would like to, what would interest you the most? We will also tell stories here that don't find a place here on the blog. We're thinking of the Bern and Berlin area - simply because we have family there. But other places are also conceivable. Feel free to write to us.
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