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Dictionary of Islamic Architecture
 
Ribat
Fortified enclosure for religious warriors, common in North Africa in the early Islamic period.
Definition

A typical ribat is located near the coast and partially functions as a look-out post. Usually ribats are square or rectangular courtyard structures, two storeys high, with storage rooms and stables on the ground floor and sleeping accomodation and a mosque on the upper floor. Later ribats seem to have lost their military function. Important examples are at Sfax, Monastir and Sousse in Tunisia.

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