Situated in the Gulf of Gabes off the eastern coast of Tunisia, Kerkennah still remains one of the mediterraneans secret gems, made up of two main islands, Chergui(in the north) and Gharbi (in the south), Kerkennah is reached by ferries during the summer season from the port at Sfax. The islands were originally called “Cercina” because the with-godess Circe is supposed to have imprisoned Odysseus, believing him too handsome to let go. Kerkennah is quiet, calm, tranquil and lovely place. “Don’t go there unless you want to fall in love”, but do so, and return year after year. Encircled by Cire’s magic, this place can be hard to leave, and visitors who arrive for days can often stay for weeks.

Built around the year 200, it was the scene of those games and circuses, often cruel and bloody , provided by ancient Rome . Today, the cries of martyrs and beasts have been replaced by the haunting strains of a concerto or the precise beauty of a fugue as world famous orchestras and artists perform at the classical music festival held at the colosseum each summer.
El Jem has opened workshops where artists are re-discovering the art of mosaics and their creations are truly worthy of this site and its history. You can compare these artworks with those in the museum by the colosseum.