For anyone interested in ancient history and the legacy left by over five hundred years of Roman civilization, Tunisia has some remarkable offerings.

The famous amphitheatre of Rome is perhaps the best known site of Roman history, but there are also places like the southern coast of Turkey, where many examples of Roman architecture remain largely intact. The harbourside amphitheatre at Bodrum is one such example, while the huge amphitheatre as Aspendos, near Antalya, was still used for public performances until fairly recently. The authorities decided to call a halt to public events after some damage was caused to the structure while assembling staging for certain theatrical events. The only issue historians have is that some places like Aspendos have actually been renovated or rebuilt and don't accurately represent the buildings as they were in their original state. The Aspendos amphitheatre was subjected to substantial rebuilding work during the thirteenth century.

The same issues don't apply to the monuments discovered in Tunisia though. Ancient Roman sites are still being discovered on a frequent basis in Tunisia and there is much conjecture and excitement about what still remains undiscovered. Some historians believe there could be as many as 25,000 historic sites in total.

In fact it is the weather that has been instrumental in preserving these relics in the state they remain today. The dry desert conditions have meant little destructive rain over the intervening period, meaning places like the amphitheatre at El Jem, which was built almost 1800 years ago, are still in wonderful condition. This amphitheatre is the second largest ever built after the Colloseum in Rome and could seat 35,000 people, making almost as large as Tottenham Hotspur's football stadium at White Hart Lane. Other discoveries being made are some amazing floor mosaics in ancient Roman Villas. Many of these have been covered by sand and still retain all the colour and clarity of their original design.

During October the average daytime temperature in Monastir remains at a pleasant 26 degrees Celsius, making it a perfect time to visit some of these remarkable discoveries. Flights to Monastir depart from the UK with flythomascook.com tickets costing as low as 72.99 for a one-way trip.