The coliseum remains one of the most impressive monuments to the building genius of the ancient Romans. This huge arena was built around 72 A.D. and had three levels of arches on its exterior. The total height of the construction was approximately 147 feet(48 meters), and the arena was 259 feet(79 meters) long and 157 feet(45 meters) wide. The theater could hold about 50000 people. A cloth awning could be spread over the top of the building to protect spectators from the sun. Also, the Coliseum could be "air-conditioned" by the use of a perfumed spray of water.
The Romans left more monuments spread across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa than any other culture. Can you imagine a modern construction lasting longer than 2000 years?