Kasbah of Le Kef ( ar, قصبة الكاف) is a

kasbah A kasbah (, also ; ar, قَـصَـبَـة, qaṣaba, lit=fortress, , Maghrebi Arabic: ), also spelled qasba, qasaba, or casbah, is a fortress, most commonly the citadel or fortified quarter of a city. It is also equivalent to the term ''alca ...

fortification in the city of

El Kef El Kef ( ar, الكاف '), also known as ''Le Kef'', is a city in northwestern Tunisia. It serves as the capital of the Kef Governorate. El Kef is situated to the west of Tunis and some east of the border between Algeria and Tunisia. It has a ...

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

. The kasbah was constructed in 1600 during the

Ottoman rule Ottoman is the Turkish spelling of the Arabic masculine given name Uthman ( ar, عُثْمان, ‘uthmān). It may refer to: Governments and dynasties * Ottoman Caliphate, an Islamic caliphate from 1517 to 1924 * Ottoman Empire, in existence fro ...

of the local tribes and borders, as one of the many forts established for the monitoring of the local area. It played a major role in the defense of the city as well as administration which was conducted from the fort.

Description

As the city of El Kef existed long since the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

-era, the site was used for defense of the city by several civilizations in the past, including the Romans and

Arabs The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

, according to the texts, inscriptions and ruins existed in the fort. It was established as kasbah for the first time by the Ottomans in 1600, consisted of four watchtowers, a room for the soldiers, and a secret door for escape accessible to the northwest side of the fort.معالم لها تاريخ: القصبة: حصن مدينة الكاف
''Turess''. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
''Alchourouk''. Retrieved January 30, 2018. The fort was renovated several times, first during the era of the ruler Hammuda Pasha in the mid-17th century, which added a moat leading to the bottom area of the

medina quarter A medina (from ar, مدينة, translit=madīnah, lit=city) is a historical district in a number of North African cities, often corresponding to an old walled city. The term comes from the Arabic word simply meaning "city" or "town". Histori ...

, and watchtowers, walls, and other fortifications. These structures were repaired in 1806 by the hand of the Dutch engineer known as Humbolt, also adding new towers on the northern side. The kasbah also contains a space surrounded by rooms, a mosque, ammo, and basin for collecting rainwater. Today, the building is a tourist spot as well as often used as a venue for festivals.

References

External links

* {{commons category-inline, Kasbah of Le Kef Kasbahs in Tunisia Ottoman fortifications Ottoman architecture in Tunisia 17th-century fortifications 17th-century establishments in Africa Forts in Tunisia