The Roman amphitheater ‘Cilium’ in Kasserine officially reopened with a concert of Lebanese committed Marcel Khalifa, after restoration.
Culture Minister Mohamed Zine El Abidine said that “the inauguration of this new amphitheater is an historic moment for the city of Kasserine, which has become over the last few years synonymous of obscurantism and terrorism”.
The project Cilium, which cost a total of 400,000 dinars, was made with the support of the regional council of the governorate of Kasserine, in cooperation with the culture ministry, the national heritage institute (Inp) and the Agence de mise en valeur du patrimoine et de promotion culturelle (Amvppc).
The minister also announced that a budget of 50,000 dinars, twice the sum usually granted, will be devoted to activities by the Dramatic and Scenic Arts Centre in Kasserine and to hire staff at the Regional musical institute as part of a policy to decentralize culture and efforts to encourage individual and collective art projects in the region to fight against terrorism.
According to some archaeological excavations carried out in 1946, the site ”Ciullium” in today’s Kesserine near Roman cities of the region like Sufetula (Sbeitla), Sufes (Sbiba), Ammaeddara (Hydra), Thala and Thelepte, would date back to the Roman era between the fourth and fifth century AD.
The restored amphitheater, which will now host performances and events, is located in the eastern part of the city and considering it can accommodate 1,000 people at the most, it is the smallest amphitheater in North Africa.
TunisianMonitorOnline
