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Souk El Attarine (), or souk of spice traders, is the name by which most spice markets are referred to in Arab countries in the Middle East. Old cities (
The souk was initiated by a sovereign of the
Khaldounia.JPG, Facade of Khaldounia
MinaretMosqueeZitounaTunis.JPG, Minaret of the Al-Zaytuna Mosque
Souk El Attarine (), or souk of spice traders, is the name by which most spice markets are referred to in Arab countries in the Middle East. Old cities (Jerusalem
Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
, Damascus, Amman, Beirut, Tunis, Marrakach) were often divided into segments based on what was sold - meat, spices, fabrics and so on - and attarine, which means spice traders in Arabic, refers to the spice market.
History
The souk was initiated by a sovereign of the Hafsid dynasty
The Hafsid dynasty ( ) was a Sunni Muslim dynasty of Berbers, Berber descentC. Magbaily Fyle, ''Introduction to the History of African Civilization: Precolonial Africa'', (University Press of America, 1999), 84. that ruled Ifriqiya (modern day Tu ...
, Abu Zakariya Yahya
Abu Zakariya Yahya (, Abu Zakariya Yahya I ben Abd al-Wahid (12031249) was the founder and first sultan of the Hafsid dynasty in Ifriqiya. He was the grandson of Abu Hafs Umar ibn Yahya al-Hintati, the leader of the Hintata and second in command ...
, in 1240.
Locations
Souk el Attarine is one of the souks of themedina 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 ...
, specialized in perfume
Perfume (, ) is a mixture of fragrance, fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), Fixative (perfumery), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agre ...
and beauty products
Cosmetics are substances that are intended for application to the body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering appearance. They are mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources or created syn ...
trading. This souk is famous for trading jasmine
Jasmine (botanical name: ''Jasminum'', pronounced ) is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family of Oleaceae. It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania. Jasmines are wid ...
and rose water
Rose water, or rosewater, is a flavoured water created by steeping rose petals in water. It is typically made as a by-product during the distillation of rose petals to create rose oil for perfumes. Rose water is widely utilized to flavour cu ...
as well as amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin. Examples of it have been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since the Neolithic times, and worked as a gemstone since antiquity."Amber" (2004). In Maxine N. Lurie and Marc Mappen (eds.) ''Encyclopedia ...
and henna
Henna is a reddish dye prepared from the dried and powdered leaves of the henna tree. It has been used since at least the ancient Egyptian period as a hair and body dye, notably in the temporary body art of mehndi (or "henna tattoo") resulti ...
. Today perfume and beauty products trading is still the main fonction of the souk.
It is situated near the Al-Zaytuna Mosque
Al-Zaytuna Mosque, also known as Ez-Zitouna Mosque, and El-Zituna Mosque (, 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 oldest in the city and covers an a ...
, facing its northern facade. It can be accessed from the north via the Sieve Street, Souk El Blaghgia and Sidi Ben Arous Street, from the west from Souk El Trouk
Souk El Trouk () is one of the souks of the medina of Tunis. It is specialized in clothing and embroidery trading.
History
Souk El Trouk was initiated in the early 17th century by Yusuf Dey to satisfy the Turkish community. At the start, it ...
and from the south by Souk El Fekka.
In this souk, there are a good number of historical monuments such as:
* Al-Zaytuna Mosque
Al-Zaytuna Mosque, also known as Ez-Zitouna Mosque, and El-Zituna Mosque (, 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 oldest in the city and covers an a ...
;
* Khaldounia;
* Madrasa Al Asfouriya;
* A branch of the National Library of Tunisia;
* Fondouk El Attarine.
* Madrasa Hamzia
Notes and references
{{Coord, 36.7976, 10.1711, display=title Attarine