The coliseum was great, almost as big as the one of Rome so we were told and in better condition. It is 148 metres long by 122 metres wide, with tiers up to 35 metres. There is nothing missing which takes away its grandeur. One area of the walls is gone, and this was done in 1695 when a big hole was shot in the wall of the coliseum, in order to uncover the hiding places of dissidents against the Ottomans.
The coliseum was constructed between 230 and 238 BC by the command of the Imperial official Gordian. It's believed to have given room for as much as 30,000 spectators, some estimates set it at 45,000. The building process is even more impressive considering that the stones were quarried 30 km away at Salakta.
