The Travelling Celts

May the force be with you.

by Michael Cameron

Tunisia pretty much demands a visit to the El Jem Ampitheatre as well as a camel ride in the Sahara. We couldn't resist - there was also a bonus of a sunrise on a salt flat on my birthday.

The amphitheatre was built around 238 AD in Thysdrus, located in the Roman province of Africa Proconsularis in present-day El Djem. It is one of the best preserved Roman stone ruins in the world, and is unique in Africa. As other amphitheatres in the Roman Empire, it was built for spectator events, and it is one of the biggest amphitheatres in the world. The estimated capacity is 35,000. In the Middle Ages, it served as a fortress, and the population sought shelter here during the attacks of Vandals in 430 and Arabs in 647. In 1695. During the Revolutions of Tunis, Mohamed Bey El Mouradi made an opening in one of the walls to stop the resistance of the followers of his brother Ali Bey al-Muradi who gathered inside the amphitheater.

The Sahara desert is the largest hot desert in the world, and the third largest desert overall after Antarctica and the Arctic. Its area of 9,200,000 square kilometres is comparable to the area of China or the United States.

Chott el Jerid is a dry salt lake located in southwest Tunisia, near the Algerian border. This salt flats is the largest salt pan of the Sahara Desert, covering about 5,000 sq km. The salt flats are also famously known for being the exterior of the Lars Family Homestead on Tatooine in the Star Wars movies.

Click the links below for the El Jem photos and/or videos