Sightseeing in Houmt Souk, Djerba

October 31, 2026

Sightseeing in Houmt Souk centres on a compact area around the fishing port: a fortress, a heritage museum, two historic mosques, the souks and the funduq quarter. The wider island adds villages and a synagogue within 20 km. Djerba was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023 as “Djerba: Testimony to a settlement pattern in an island territory”.

Borj El Kebir and the site of Borj er-Rous

Borj El Kebir, also called Borj Ghazi Mustapha, is a 15th-century Hafsid fortress with a moat beside the port. The Ottoman governor Ghazi Mustapha repaired it from 1567, French troops occupied it from 1881, and it was restored from 1969 and opened to visitors in the early 1980s. Winter hours are 09:30 to 16:30 and summer hours 08:00 to 17:00, with closure on Fridays. Non-residents pay 8 TND.

Nearby stood the Tower of Skulls, Borj er-Rous, built from the bones of a defeated Christian force after the Ottoman victory of 1560. It was dismantled in the 19th century, and the date usually given is 1848. A French-era obelisk marks the site. The tower no longer stands, and the place deserves a quiet, respectful visit.

Museum of the Traditional Heritage of Djerba

The museum opened in December 2008 and replaced the 1969 museum that occupied the late-18th-century Zaouia of Sidi Zitouni. That zaouia is now an interpretation centre. Displays cover architecture, costume, jewellery, farming, fishing, pottery and rites. Winter hours are 09:30 to 16:30 and summer hours 09:00 to 17:00, closed Fridays, 8 TND for non-residents. There is a shop and a cafeteria.

The two mosques

Jamaa Ettrouk, the Mosque of the Turks, stands behind the church of Saint Joseph in the centre. It dates to the 16th century according to most sources and was built as Djerba’s only Hanafi mosque before it shifted to the Maliki rite. Jamaa El Ghorba, the Mosque of the Strangers, is Maliki. View both from outside, since the interiors are not routinely open to non-Muslims.

Souks and funduqs

Souk Errbaa is the covered market hall at the centre of town. The jewellers’ lanes and the Central Market sit around it, and the funduqs, old two-storey inns around courtyards, can be seen from their entrances. Several have been converted into hotels and workshops.

Port and marina

The fishing port is the natural end to a walk, with boats unloading in the morning. The fish auction runs by the port, and bidding is led by a crier on a high chair.

Beyond town

Erriadh, about 8 km south, has the Djerbahood murals, about 250 of them by more than 150 artists. It is also home to El Ghriba, an active synagogue and pilgrimage site. An armed attack there in May 2023 killed five people, and an earlier bombing in 2002 killed about 20. Expect checkpoints, ID checks and tight security. Cover your shoulders and knees, carry a head covering of your own and check locally for access.
Guellala, about 20 km south, is known for pottery and a museum of traditional life.
The Taguermess lighthouse lies on the east side of the island.

Tours covering several of these stops can be compared on GetYourGuide . Official pages cover the fortress and the heritage museum . The Wikipedia article on Houmt El Souk adds background, and the UNESCO listing covers the island’s inscription.