Minster of cultural affairs Mohamed Zine El Abidine gave the green light to start Renovation for Amphitheatre of El Jem, present in the launching was Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts Rene Trabelsi, US ambassador to Tunisia, Mr Donald Blome and Mahdia mayor.

The United States ‘s Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation has granted Tunisia $425.000 for the restoration and renovations of Amphitheatre of El Jem. Agency for the development of National Heritage and Cultural Promotio located 1.5 million dinars while the ministry of cultural affairs granted 1 million dinars. The project intends to increase the Amphitheatre size and improve its state.

The Amphitheatre of El Jem is one of the largest Roman amphitheatres ever built. Indeed (depending on how you measure it) El Jem may be considered to be the third-largest ever, after the Colosseum in Rome and the destroyed amphitheatre in Capua. Designed to seat a whopping crowd of 35,000 people, today El Jem is both the largest and the best-preserved Roman amphitheatre in Africa.