The amphitheatre was well situated on the main road by the sea on the north-east side of the city with a nymphaeum (public water supply) near by, making it easily accessible and sustainable for its 23,000 spectators (Starac, 2015: pp.12, 17). Construction began in the 1st century BCE and was completed by 80 CE and included a wooden gallery at the top and a tarpaulin (a cover that could be rolled over the entire amphitheatre when the weather was unfavourable), and a sanctuary for Nemesis on the east side of the main entrance (Starac, 2015: p.12, 29, 40). The arena measured 67.9 m by 41.6 m, contributing to the overall size of 132.5 m by 105.1 m (Starac, 2015: p.17). Built into the side of a hill, there were 20 vomitoria connecting 6 public doors and 2 doors for the gladiators and animals, as well as subterranean chambers located underneath the arena. (Starac, 2015: pp.23-24, 27). The surviving architectural decoration indicates that many of the stone blocks were carved with geometric, animalistic, and spiral patterns and that the honorary box was once decorated with a relief of the head of Hathor (Starac, 2015: pp.21, 28).
