This small town 80km (50 miles) south of Sousse would be like dozens of others in Tunisia were it not for its giant amphitheater - one of the country's truly remarkable sights.
Only slightly smaller than the Colosseum in Rome, it is better preserved and seems much more imposing, partly because it is situated at the end of a street of modern houses.
Built between 230 and 238 in what was then the busy market town of Thysdrus, the amphitheater could seat crowds of more than 30,000. Even if being built today it would be considered an impressive achievement but without modern construction equipment, the task must have been gargantuan. Blocks of sandstone were transported from quarries 32km (20 miles) away while water was carried 16km (10 miles) through an underground aqueduct. The amphitheater was used both for festivals and for dawn to dusk gladiatorial contests when petty criminals were pitted against wild animals in fights to the death.