Dar El Bey (), also known as the government palace () is an old
palace
A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...
in the
medina of Tunis, more precisely in the city's
Kasbah. Nowadays, it serves as the office of
the Head of Government of Tunisia but was used by guests of the State previously. It is located south of Government Square, west of Kasbah Square.
History
The palace was built in the 17th century during the reign of the
Muradid Bey
Hammuda Pasha Bey. In 1795 the
Husainid Bey Hammuda Ibn Ali added another floor to it.
Henri Dunant considers it as «the most beautiful
moorish royal house in the world».
It became the main office for the
Head of the Tunisian government even before the independence.
Mustapha Kaak was the first to fill that position.
Architecture
The palace's decoration is very rich and diverse with, as an example, sixteen twisted columns with their arches in white
marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...
: the rooms were designed by
Tunisia
Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...
n,
Spanish and
Moroccan artists. These rooms are distinguished by their special rooftops highly decorated with painted scenes and precious materials, as well as Andalusian style
faience
Faience or faïence (; ) is the general English language term for fine tin-glazed pottery. The invention of a white Ceramic glaze, pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an stannous oxide, oxide of tin to the Slip (c ...
. The courtyard is paved in white marble and surrounded by a
portico.
[Henri Saladin, Tunis et Kairouan, Paris, Henri Laurens, coll. "Les Villes d'art célèbres", 1908, p. 52-53]
Dar El Bey.JPG, Façade of Dar El Bey in the Kasbah
Kasbah-Kassus.jpg, General view of the palace
References
External links
El Bey
Royal residences in Tunisia
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