| The Ribat Fortress in Susa, Tunisia is at the top of the photo above. The Ribat fort’s foundations were laid in 770 AD, and its last stage of construction was in 822 AD. It is attributed to the Aghlabid Ziyadat Allah. The building consists of a fortified enclosure with one entrance, and attached towers in the corners and in the middle of the walls. The courtyard is surrounded by vaulted porticoes on two levels with cells behind. The southern side of the second floor is occupied by a mosque with a mihrab in its center, pointing south rather than towards Mecca or Petra. This fortress is similar to other north African mosques in that it points south. However it points more directly south than the Susa Mosque which is below (and right) in the photo above. The mosque in the fort has a qibla pointing south at 176.8 degrees. |
