Souk Es Sekajine ( ar, سوق السكاجين) or Souk Es Sarragine is one of the

souks A bazaar () or souk (; also transliterated as souq) is a marketplace consisting of multiple small stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, North Africa and India. However, temporary open markets elsewhere, such as in the W ...

of the

medina of Tunis The Medina of Tunis is the medina quarter of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. The Medina contains some 700 monuments, including palaces, mosques, mausoleums, madrasas and fountains dating from ...

. specializing in

leather goods Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hogs ...

saddle The saddle is a supportive structure for a rider of an animal, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is equestrian. However, specialized saddles have been created for oxen, camels and other animals. It is not k ...

s, and

horse harness Horse harness is a device that connects a horse to a vehicle or another type of load. There are two main categories of horse harness: (1) the "breaststrap" or "breastcollar" design, and (2) the collar and hames design. For light work, such as ho ...

es.

Name

The term ''Es Sekajine'' is a mutation of ''ach-chakkazine'', referring to traditional craftsmen who made ''achkouz'', saddles of high-quality leather. In some European books, it is instead called Souk des Selliers, meaning "souk of s".

Location

The souk is situated west of

Al-Zaytuna Mosque Al-Zaytuna Mosque, also known as Ez-Zitouna Mosque, and El-Zituna Mosque ( ar, جامع الزيتونة, literally meaning ''the Mosque of Olive''), is a major mosque at the center of the Medina of Tunis in Tunis, Tunisia. The mosque is the o ...

and east of

Bab Menara Bab Menara ( ar, باب منارة) is one of the gates of the medina of Tunis The Medina of Tunis is the medina quarter of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. The Medina contains some 700 monumen ...

gate.

History

The souk has existed since the 15th century CE. It was revived in the 18th century by Al-Husayn I ibn Ali of the

Husainid Dynasty The Husainid dynasty or Husaynid dynasty ( ar, الحسينيون) was a ruling dynasty of the Beylik of Tunis, which was of Greek origin from the island of Crete. It came to power under al-Husayn I ibn Ali in 1705, succeeding the Muradid dynast ...

. In modern times, the souk has a variety of merchants and there are only two saddlemakers remaining there.

Monuments

The souk has two monuments: a

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier A Tomb of the Unknown Soldier or Tomb of the Unknown Warrior is a monument dedicated to the services of an unknown soldier and to the common memories of all soldiers killed in war. Such tombs can be found in many nations and are usually high-prof ...

and the tomb of the Majorcan writer

Anselm Turmeda Anselm Turmeda (), later known as Abd-Allah at-Tarjuman ( ar, عبد الله الترجمان; 1355–1423), was a Christian priest from Mallorca who converted to Islam and settled in Tunis. He is one of the earliest writers to have written in bo ...

. Tombe-Soldat-Tunisien-Kassus.jpg, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Tomba d'Anselm Turmeda a Tunis.jpg, Tomb of Anselm Turmeda, who wrote in both

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

and

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...

. Plaques-Anselm-Turmeda-Kassus.jpg, Memorial plaques in

and

on the tomb of Turmeda.

References

External links

* {{Souks of Tunis Sekajine