Kelibia

Kelibia's citadel crowns a rocky headland on the northeastern side of Cape Bon. Its walls overlooked the sea passage toward Sicily and the nearby anchorage, while the town developed in the shadow of a fortress repeatedly rebuilt by successive rulers. Under the Hafsids, the stronghold also served a religious role as a centre of ascetic life. Its inherited military and devotional functions remained closely tied to this exposed stretch of the Tunisian coast.

In the sixteenth century, Kelibia became a site of conflict between Ottoman and Spanish forces. During the seventeenth century, the rulers of Tunis strengthened its defences and enlarged the garrison to protect an anchorage used by privateering vessels. French naval reprisals followed later in that century. As privateering declined in the eighteenth century, the fortress received less attention. The changing condition of the citadel reflected the fortunes of the anchorage below: the same position that sheltered armed shipping also made the town vulnerable to attacks from across the Mediterranean.