In those unruly middle ages, granaries were often fortified to stop raids on a village’s food supply.
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Ksar Ouled Soltane was originally built in the 15th century and had hundreds ofghorfasfor storage of grains.
The two courtyards are connected by a passage made of palm wood.
Eachghorfaswas assigned to and used by a single family.
For five centuries the nomadic tribes used them to store grain and olives.
It is now a popular tourist destination.
Also see:Qasr Al Haj, a similar vault and granary in Libya.
Sources:Wikipedia/About.com/French Wikipedia/The Rough Guide to Tunisia- By Daniel Jacobs, Peter Morris