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Mosque of Yussef Sahib al-Taba‘a


History


It is the last great mosque built in Tunis before the establishment of the French protectorate in 1881. Its octagonal minaret remained unfinished until 1970, when restoration work completed its lantern.

Urban and Architectural


Like several buildings in the medina, the entire base of the mosque is made of regular stonework from the ruins of Carthage.
The prayer hall is divided into nine naves and seven bays. The walls are almost entirely clad in marble imported from Carrara (in Italy), as are the columns, topped with composite capitals, which support slightly horseshoe arches1. The vaults of the prayer hall are enriched with sculpted plaster decorations of remarkable execution.
The ornamentation of the mihrab, made of polychrome marble, combines pseudo-Gothic arcades and floral motifs enhanced with a few touches of gilding1. The imposing mosque dominates the Halfaouine district with its numerous domes and colonnaded galleries in Italian marble specially worked for the building.

Description


It is part of a large architectural complex built at the same time and comprising a souk, a hammam, two medersas, a public fountain (sabil), a fondouk and the Saheb Ettabaâ palace (now a public library) as well as its tomb. The association of these annexes to the place of worship is a unique example in the construction of religious buildings

References


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saheb_Ettaba%C3%A2_Mosque

https://annuaire.tunisie.co/portfolios/1059/mosquee-youssef-sahib-at-tabaa-313312


Details

Location

Rue du Portier, Tunis, Tunisie

Worshippers

1000

Owners

The minister Yussef Sahib al-Taba‘a

Year of Build

1808–14

Area

4000

Drawings

Map

History

It is the last great mosque built in Tunis before the establishment of the French protectorate in 1881. Its octagonal minaret remained unfinished until 1970, when restoration work completed its lantern.

Urban and Architectural

Like several buildings in the medina, the entire base of the mosque is made of regular stonework from the ruins of Carthage.
The prayer hall is divided into nine naves and seven bays. The walls are almost entirely clad in marble imported from Carrara (in Italy), as are the columns, topped with composite capitals, which support slightly horseshoe arches1. The vaults of the prayer hall are enriched with sculpted plaster decorations of remarkable execution.
The ornamentation of the mihrab, made of polychrome marble, combines pseudo-Gothic arcades and floral motifs enhanced with a few touches of gilding1. The imposing mosque dominates the Halfaouine district with its numerous domes and colonnaded galleries in Italian marble specially worked for the building.

Description

It is part of a large architectural complex built at the same time and comprising a souk, a hammam, two medersas, a public fountain (sabil), a fondouk and the Saheb Ettabaâ palace (now a public library) as well as its tomb. The association of these annexes to the place of worship is a unique example in the construction of religious buildings