Ksar Mosque or Jemaâ Al Ksar (), also of the

Hanafi The Hanafi school or Hanafism is the oldest and largest Madhhab, school of Islamic jurisprudence out of the four schools within Sunni Islam. It developed from the teachings of the Faqīh, jurist and theologian Abu Hanifa (), who systemised the ...

rite, is a

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

Tunis Tunis (, ') is the capital city, capital and largest city of Tunisia. The greater metropolitan area of Tunis, often referred to as "Grand Tunis", has about 2,700,000 inhabitants. , it is the third-largest city in the Maghreb region (after Casabl ...

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 ...

History

Located in front of Dar Hussein (Bab Menara), it was built in the early 12th century. The mosque was originally built circa 1106 by Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz, the leader of the Banu Khurasan who governed Tunis during this time. Near the mosque he also built a palace ( in Arabic). Around 1598, it was attached to the

legal school by the Ottoman conquerors. The mosque has been restored many times since its founding. Its minaret was added in the 17th century.

Structure

The mosque has had a lot of building work and renovation. The minaret was rebuilt in 1647/48, and decorated with

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 ...

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terra cotta Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta (; ; ), is a clay-based Vitrification#Ceramics, non-vitreous ceramicOED, "Terracotta""Terracotta" MFA Boston, "Cameo" database fired at relatively low temperatures. It is therefore a term used ...

glazed in a Moorish style, and its eastern facade is decorated with big bows and horseshoes in the Fatimid style. Access to the mosque is through a door under a covered walkway that opens into a courtyard elevated above the prayer hall. It is surrounded by a portico with columns and capitals such as Turkish Prayer Hall which is topped by arches supported by ancient columns and capitals. At the back of the hall, the mihrab, of remarkable size, is semicircular with seven niches separated by pilasters. It is surmounted by a Fatimid style fluted half-dome.

Gallery

Ksar Mosque, 1913.jpg, Ksar Mosque in 1913 Mosquée El Ksar 113.jpg, El Ksar's mosque Mihrab Mosquée El Ksar 6.JPG, El Ksar mosque's facade Mosquée El Ksar 1.JPG, Mosque El Ksar's minaret Mosquée El Ksar 2.JPG, The mosque's arches Mosquée El Ksar 114.jpg, Detail of the wall Mosquée El Ksar 4.JPG, Building inscription on the minaret

References

Bibliography

* Mohamed Masmoudi et Jamila Binous, ''Tunis. La ville et les monuments'', Tunis, Cérès Productions, 1980, p. 80–81 Mosques in the medina of Tunis 12th-century mosques in Africa Mosques completed in the 1640s Religious buildings and structures completed in 1648 Mosque buildings with minarets in Africa 17th-century mosques in the Ottoman Empire {{Tunisia-mosque-stub

History

Structure

Gallery

See also

References

Bibliography