Gulf of Gabes

The Gulf of Gabès curves along southeastern Tunisia, with Djerba guarding its southern approaches and Sfax and Gabès linking the sea to the mainland. Shallow water and unusually large Mediterranean tides shaped a coast of channels, banks and fishing grounds. Coastal livelihoods depended on knowing these waters, while the same islands and passages attracted fleets seeking control of the central Mediterranean.

In May 1560, an allied fleet dominated by Spanish and Italian forces faced the Ottomans near Djerba. Piali Pasha's fleet defeated the coalition, and the island fortress subsequently fell after a siege. The battle made the gulf's approaches a major theatre of Ottoman and Habsburg competition. Marine resources also became objects of government control. In 1836 the Bey of Tunis granted a Greek merchant, Cotulma, a concession to exploit sponge beds between Sousse and Djerba. Commercial privilege and naval power thus intersected with the work of fishermen in waters whose shoals and tides demanded close local knowledge.