Fort Borj el-Kebir

In the middle of the sixteenth century, due to the threat of invasion of Spanish troops on the island of Djerba, Sultan Abi Faresa al-Hafsi ordered the construction of the fort Borj el-Kebir. Thanks to the efforts of Arab builders, the fort of Borj el-Kebir successfully coped with its task to repel the attacks of the invaders. The siege lasted 80 days, after which the Spanish troops conceded defeat.

During the siege of Fort Borj el-Kebir, thousands of Spaniards died. Subsequently, from the skulls of the murdered Spaniards, the Arabs built a huge pyramid, which they called Borj el-Rus. The pyramid stood for 300 years, after which the European colonizers buried the skulls in the Christian cemetery.