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SOME BEAUTIFUL MOSQUES OF TUNISIA
KAIROUAN
Okba Ibn Nafaa's mosque
This mosque is a central element of the first Moslem camp based in 670 in Ifriqiya. At present, the mosque is the résulwtat of the works begun by two aghlabides emirs. Restored regularly, it was again perfected under Zirides, Hafsides and the Ottomans, adding each it her touch.
The big mosque has a shape of trapeze with 70m and 74m of base and 124 and 125 of quoted. The central yard is covered with a tiled floor of white marble; besides this class is there impluvium to allow to get back the rainwater in cisterns. The minaret is of a height of 31m50 and contains 3 floors.
Inside, a spiral staircase of 129 walking allows to gain the second floor. The room of prayer consists of 17 nefs and of 8 crossings resting on marble Roman and Byzantine columns or there porphyre resulting from antique sites of Tunisia. This big mosque, at the same moment austere (defence of the city) and exuberant (marble, sculptured or painted wood, columns by hundreds) does not there live less a reference in architecture.
KAIROUAN
The Mosque of Three Doors
This mosque, which dates the 866, was based by Mahomet Ben Khairoun El Maafiri.
The facade of the mosque is decorated with sculpture on stone : three friezes of registrations coufiques alternate with friezes with floral decoration until the level of bows. The set is surmounted by an also sculptured ledge; the room of prayer is more modest and it rests on antique four columns.
TUNIS
The Big Mosque or Mosque Ezzitouna
Based in 734 by Obeid Allah Ibn Al Habha, probably on the site of an ancient church, this mosque was completely reconstructed by an architect thanks to capital assigned by him Caliph abbasside Al Moustasir. The Big Mosque, which carries the name of mosque of Olivier ( Ez-Zitouna) has classico-Roman speeds with its arches and columns with capital not very Moresque.
The mosque includes certain analogies with the Kairouan's big Mosque at the level of the general architecture and of the decoration, with the exception of the place of the minaret, situated in an angle. The mosque makes 75m of length on 6m of wide. More than 200 columns, for the greater part got back in Carthage, decorate the room of the prayers as well as the porticoes. Furthermore, this religious building includes one of the most famous libraries of the Moslem world, enriched in 1450 by works of the XV-th century. The non-Moslems can visit only the yard, the room of the prayers being forbidden them.
TUNIS
The Mosque of Kasbah or Mosque of Almohades
It dates the XIII-th century and it was built under the administration of the sultan Hafsie Abou Zakaria. This mosque gave the tone to all the malékites mosques of Tunisia, which in the continuation, were endowed with square minaret. The room of prayers is supported by columns surmounted by capital of different styles: Roman, Zirides, Spanish - magrébins, hafsides. The minaret of this mosque is a retort of the big almohades minarets. From the architectural point of view, the mosque of Kasbah is one of three representative mosques of period 705-1574 (with the mosque Aghlabide de Kairouan and the mosque Fatimide de Mahdia). Situated in the highest point of the capital and inside the fortress, this mosque is the symbol of the religious authority installed by the new dynasty.
TUNIS
The Mosque Hammouda Pacha
It was built in 1655 by the bey Hammouda Pacha al-Mouradi. It is the second hanafite mosque of Tunis. The minaret is octagonal with, in the head, a balcony surmounted by a pyramid. The mosque contains three classes. That of the right-hand side, in the capital where is read the Italian influence, shelters Hammouda's grave, surprising masterpiece of the art of the XVII-th century.
SOUSSE
Big Mosque
This mosque was built in 851, under the administration of the emir Aghlabide Abou El Abbas. Built probably on an ancient Kasbah, it keeps a defensive character: there are indeed two towers of angle serving as platform in the machines of war and merlons in the outer wall. The yard, devoid of minaret, is surrounded with porticoes built in the IX-th century, safe for the gallery added in 1675. The room of prayer contains 13 nefs and 3 spans in cradle resting on pillars and the mihrab, dating the IX-th century, looks like to be mistaken there, in that of Mahdia's mosque.
MAHDIA
Mosque Fatimide
It is the first fatimide mosque that was built, second it will be built in Cairo. The style of this mosque distinguishes itself by the new architectural styles: the entrance is a grand hall comparable to the Roman triumphal arches. The big mosque was built on a space gained on the sea, what explains his destruction during the dismantling of the fortifications by the Spaniards. The mosque was partially reconstructed under Zirides and also recently (1961-1965), regrettably the decoration was ever lost for ever.
SFAX
The Big Mosque
This mosque was based at the end of the IX-th century, and it was reshaped has many occasions, In 988, in 1035 and in the XVIII-th century. The surface of the yard reduced of the being of half to enlarge the room of prayer which is in shape of L today. The minaret, situated in the western North in the yard, contains as to Kairouan, 3 floors, both first ones of which are decorated with denticules, with oves, with writing and with merlons in fleurons.
KAIROUAN
Okba Ibn Nafaa's mosque
This mosque is a central element of the first Moslem camp based in 670 in Ifriqiya. At present, the mosque is the résulwtat of the works begun by two aghlabides emirs. Restored regularly, it was again perfected under Zirides, Hafsides and the Ottomans, adding each it her touch.
The big mosque has a shape of trapeze with 70m and 74m of base and 124 and 125 of quoted. The central yard is covered with a tiled floor of white marble; besides this class is there impluvium to allow to get back the rainwater in cisterns. The minaret is of a height of 31m50 and contains 3 floors.
Inside, a spiral staircase of 129 walking allows to gain the second floor. The room of prayer consists of 17 nefs and of 8 crossings resting on marble Roman and Byzantine columns or there porphyre resulting from antique sites of Tunisia. This big mosque, at the same moment austere (defence of the city) and exuberant (marble, sculptured or painted wood, columns by hundreds) does not there live less a reference in architecture.
KAIROUAN
The Mosque of Three Doors
This mosque, which dates the 866, was based by Mahomet Ben Khairoun El Maafiri.
The facade of the mosque is decorated with sculpture on stone : three friezes of registrations coufiques alternate with friezes with floral decoration until the level of bows. The set is surmounted by an also sculptured ledge; the room of prayer is more modest and it rests on antique four columns.
TUNIS
The Big Mosque or Mosque Ezzitouna
Based in 734 by Obeid Allah Ibn Al Habha, probably on the site of an ancient church, this mosque was completely reconstructed by an architect thanks to capital assigned by him Caliph abbasside Al Moustasir. The Big Mosque, which carries the name of mosque of Olivier ( Ez-Zitouna) has classico-Roman speeds with its arches and columns with capital not very Moresque.
The mosque includes certain analogies with the Kairouan's big Mosque at the level of the general architecture and of the decoration, with the exception of the place of the minaret, situated in an angle. The mosque makes 75m of length on 6m of wide. More than 200 columns, for the greater part got back in Carthage, decorate the room of the prayers as well as the porticoes. Furthermore, this religious building includes one of the most famous libraries of the Moslem world, enriched in 1450 by works of the XV-th century. The non-Moslems can visit only the yard, the room of the prayers being forbidden them.
TUNIS
The Mosque of Kasbah or Mosque of Almohades
It dates the XIII-th century and it was built under the administration of the sultan Hafsie Abou Zakaria. This mosque gave the tone to all the malékites mosques of Tunisia, which in the continuation, were endowed with square minaret. The room of prayers is supported by columns surmounted by capital of different styles: Roman, Zirides, Spanish - magrébins, hafsides. The minaret of this mosque is a retort of the big almohades minarets. From the architectural point of view, the mosque of Kasbah is one of three representative mosques of period 705-1574 (with the mosque Aghlabide de Kairouan and the mosque Fatimide de Mahdia). Situated in the highest point of the capital and inside the fortress, this mosque is the symbol of the religious authority installed by the new dynasty.
TUNIS
The Mosque Hammouda Pacha
It was built in 1655 by the bey Hammouda Pacha al-Mouradi. It is the second hanafite mosque of Tunis. The minaret is octagonal with, in the head, a balcony surmounted by a pyramid. The mosque contains three classes. That of the right-hand side, in the capital where is read the Italian influence, shelters Hammouda's grave, surprising masterpiece of the art of the XVII-th century.
SOUSSE
Big Mosque
This mosque was built in 851, under the administration of the emir Aghlabide Abou El Abbas. Built probably on an ancient Kasbah, it keeps a defensive character: there are indeed two towers of angle serving as platform in the machines of war and merlons in the outer wall. The yard, devoid of minaret, is surrounded with porticoes built in the IX-th century, safe for the gallery added in 1675. The room of prayer contains 13 nefs and 3 spans in cradle resting on pillars and the mihrab, dating the IX-th century, looks like to be mistaken there, in that of Mahdia's mosque.
MAHDIA
Mosque Fatimide
It is the first fatimide mosque that was built, second it will be built in Cairo. The style of this mosque distinguishes itself by the new architectural styles: the entrance is a grand hall comparable to the Roman triumphal arches. The big mosque was built on a space gained on the sea, what explains his destruction during the dismantling of the fortifications by the Spaniards. The mosque was partially reconstructed under Zirides and also recently (1961-1965), regrettably the decoration was ever lost for ever.
SFAX
The Big Mosque
This mosque was based at the end of the IX-th century, and it was reshaped has many occasions, In 988, in 1035 and in the XVIII-th century. The surface of the yard reduced of the being of half to enlarge the room of prayer which is in shape of L today. The minaret, situated in the western North in the yard, contains as to Kairouan, 3 floors, both first ones of which are decorated with denticules, with oves, with writing and with merlons in fleurons.
