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Gasr Al-Hajj Casetel

Qasr al-Haj Castle is a Berber castle built in the 13th century by Abdallah Abu Jatla. A huge fortification also used as a circular granary.

The Gasr al-Hajj castle is undoubtedly the most wonderful piece of Berber architecture in Libya.

Other that the literally translated name suggests: Fortress of al-Hajj, is located in Libya on the Tripoli-'Aziziya-Al Jawf route in Libico about 130 km from Tripoli, it is said, the owner had equipped it as a waqf or a place for religious or charitable purposes without any intention of recovering the well and to teach the Koran Islamic subjects related to the people of the area.

The building originally consisted of 114 rooms, which could be the number of families that subscribe during the construction period.

It is also hypothesized that the number 114 was used symbolically to reflect the number of Surahs of the Koran, a vision widely accepted by villagers in the region today. The number of rooms starting now is 119, following the division of 10 rooms due to succession disputes. Other changes include the addition of 29 wineries.

The lower level, which is partially buried, is used to preserve olive oil, while the upper levels are mainly used for barley and wheat. At the side of the main door, a staircase leads to the top, where a walk completes a complete circle around the top of the structure.

In a region of limited crops, grain stores like this harvest sheltered from animals, thieves and more extreme weather conditions. The Qasr al-Hajj was built in the 13th century by Sheikh Abu Jatla, with the aim of renting storage rooms to different parts in exchange for a small amount of barley and wheat, which was then distributed among the poor.

Since the building is still in use, visitors are encouraged not to enter the cells without the caretaker's guidance, or permission from the owners. As of October 2011, it is still unclear whether in the 2011 Libyan civil war it damaged Qasr al-Haj.

Map: Gasr Al-Hajj Casetel