This fort is one of the many
military fortifications scattered along the Tunisian
coast to defend the coastline. The borj –
bastion – was built in 893. In around 1463
it was considerably extended to serve as the residence
of the city governor as well. At the end of the
XVIth century, it was substantially modified and
adapted to accommodate firearms. The monument
was turned into barracks after the establishment
of the French protectorate over Tunisian in 1881.

As it stands, the citadel is a deformed square
of 50m with a salient at each corner. A single
door leads into it through a double elbowed corridor.
The courtyard is bordered with cells that were
used as prisons and storerooms; Sidi Bouali’s
mausoleum, a late XVth century warrior-monk, stands
in the middle. |