The Great Mosque of Tlemcen
History
The mosque was founded by the Almoravid emir Yusuf ibn Tashfin in 1082 when he founded the city of Tagrart (present-day Tlemcen), an extension of the earlier Idrisid-era city of Agadir. However, the mosque was restored and decorated by his son and successor, Ali ibn Yussef. Among others, the famous dome near the mihrab of the mosque dates from this renovation, an inscription under the dome indicating that it was completed in 1136. Curiously, however, the current name of the emir was deleted from the inscription, perhaps by the Almohads who governed the city after the Almoravids. It is also believed that the old Almoravid palace of the city, the Qasr al-Qadima or Qasr al-Bali ("Old Palace"), directly adjoined the mosque on its northwest side.
Urban and Architectural
The Great Mosque of Tlemcen, like the other Almoravid Maghreb mosques, with naves (balatat) perpendicular to the qibla wall and rectangular sahn (courtyard) with riwaq (galleries) on the short sides, represents a Maghrebian archetype of architecture religious. The original plan (which did not include the two new galleries opposite the minaret) is rectangular, but amputated by a triangular surface on its northwest side. The length of the whole is approximately 55 meters, and the width a little less.
The prayer room is divided into thirteen podiums (alleys). Seven balatat extending those of the prayer hall frame the court on each side (four on one side, three on the other).
The entrance is surmounted by a sedda (mezzanine) from where the a'yat (shouter) echoes the summons of the imam.
Description
The Great Mosque of Tlemcen (Arabic: المسجد الكبير بتلمسان) was built in 1136 by Ali Ben Youssef, caliph of the Berber dynasty of the Almoravids, and its minaret in 1236 by Sultan Zianide Yghomracen Ibn Zyan. It is built of stone, brick and plaster.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Mosque_of_Tlemcen
https://www.persee.fr/doc/remmm_0035-1474_1966_num_1_1_912
Details
Location
Tlemcen, Algérie
Worshippers
1000
Owners
Youssef ibn Tachfin
Year of Build
1136
Area
3000
Drawings
Map
History
The mosque was founded by the Almoravid emir Yusuf ibn Tashfin in 1082 when he founded the city of Tagrart (present-day Tlemcen), an extension of the earlier Idrisid-era city of Agadir. However, the mosque was restored and decorated by his son and successor, Ali ibn Yussef. Among others, the famous dome near the mihrab of the mosque dates from this renovation, an inscription under the dome indicating that it was completed in 1136. Curiously, however, the current name of the emir was deleted from the inscription, perhaps by the Almohads who governed the city after the Almoravids. It is also believed that the old Almoravid palace of the city, the Qasr al-Qadima or Qasr al-Bali ("Old Palace"), directly adjoined the mosque on its northwest side.
Urban and Architectural
The Great Mosque of Tlemcen, like the other Almoravid Maghreb mosques, with naves (balatat) perpendicular to the qibla wall and rectangular sahn (courtyard) with riwaq (galleries) on the short sides, represents a Maghrebian archetype of architecture religious. The original plan (which did not include the two new galleries opposite the minaret) is rectangular, but amputated by a triangular surface on its northwest side. The length of the whole is approximately 55 meters, and the width a little less.
The prayer room is divided into thirteen podiums (alleys). Seven balatat extending those of the prayer hall frame the court on each side (four on one side, three on the other).
The entrance is surmounted by a sedda (mezzanine) from where the a'yat (shouter) echoes the summons of the imam.
Description
The Great Mosque of Tlemcen (Arabic: المسجد الكبير بتلمسان) was built in 1136 by Ali Ben Youssef, caliph of the Berber dynasty of the Almoravids, and its minaret in 1236 by Sultan Zianide Yghomracen Ibn Zyan. It is built of stone, brick and plaster.