Chenini

Chenini clings to a ridge in the dry hills west of Tataouine. A fortified granary crowns the heights, its vaulted storage rooms arranged in tiers above dwellings cut into the softer rock. Families stored grain and other produce in these ghorfas, protected by the commanding position of the ksar. Such hilltop granaries are characteristic of southern Tunisia, where communities combined cultivation with the seasonal movement of herds.