Ksar Wled Soltane

Ksar Wled Soltane, located about 20 km south of the city of Tataouine in southern Tunisia, is a very well preserved fortified granary built by the Berbers in the 15th century. Built with adobe (raw earth), the ksar is spread over two courtyards, each of which has vaulted attics that serve as food reserves, called ghorfas.

In ancient times, granaries were often fortified to stop looters of food supplies from villages. Like other granaries built by Berber communities in North Africa, the Ksar is located on a hill, protecting it from these raids.

This Ksar was built in the 15th century and consisted of hundreds of ghorfas for grain storage. Later in the 19th century, the ksar was enlarged with a second courtyard, and the number of ghorfas increased to 400 granaries.

The two courtyards are connected by a passage in palm wood. The ghorfas stand four stories high and are accessed by a steep external staircase that reaches one by one the door of each attic. Each Ghorfa has been allocated and is used by a single family.