El Jem Archaeological Museum, Mahdia, Tunisia3 min read

Article written by M. Dhahri.

El Jem Archaeological Museum, a 1km walk from the Amphitheatre of El Jem, illustrates a splendorous cultural heritage, including a collection of well-preserved Roman-era mosaics, sculpture, paintings, macabre, drunken Dionysus, Roman artifacts (terra-cotta pots, coins, and oil lamps), ceramics, all unearthed from the archaeological site that sprawls behind the Museum.

The sumptuous mosaic pavements, portraying a gory array of scenes of flora and fauna, as well as geometric patterns, showcase a high level of artistry and originally decorated the villas of El Jem’s wealthy Roman landowners.

At the rear of the museum is the House of Africa, an AD 170 Roman villa from the heart of El Jem that was excavated in the 1990s and transferred for display. It takes its name from the two mosaic pictures figuring, within a central medallion, one goddess Africa, the other the province of Africa, the only known representations of the African continent.

Visiting El Jem Archaeological Museum

• Address: El Jem downtown, Mahdia, Tunisia
• Transport: Buses and/or Shared Taxis (Louage) from any city can take you there
• Schedule: 8AM–5PM weekdays; 8AM-4PM weekend
• Entrance Fee: 12 Tunisian Dinars

You May Also Be Interested In:

• El Jem Amphitheatre — The Greatest Roman Colosseum in North Africa
• Raqqada National Museum of Islamic Art in Kairouan, Tunisia
• Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions of El-Kef
• The Bardo National Museum in Tunis

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