The amphitheatre was built around 238 AD in Thysdrus, located in the Roman province of Africa Proconsulare in present-day El Djem, Tunisia. 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 nearly 35,000, and the sizes of the big and the small axes are respectively 148 metres and 122 metres. The amphitheatre is built of stone blocks, located on a flat ground, and is exceptionally well conserved.