Author
Hajj Saeed Al-Qati (Guardian of Builders) and Taher Al-Munif.
Author Original
الحاج سعيد القاتي أمين البنّائين وطاهر المنيف
Publication Date
The mosque was decorated during the Zirid era. It was undoubtedly completely changed during the 6th century AH / 12th century AD before regaining its original form in the 12th century AH / 18th century AD.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Record ID
monument;ISL;tn;Mon01;18;ar
Library Location
Sfax, Tunisia
Date
The mosque was decorated during the Zirid era. It was undoubtedly completely changed during the 6th century AH / 12th century AD before regaining its original form in the 12th century AH / 18th century AD.
Notes
The mosque occupies a central position in the heart of the ancient city, and draws a somewhat irregular rectangular shape. Among the four facades surrounded by the souks, the eastern facade is distinguished by the consistency of its decoration, consisting of an alternation of windows and doors, the front panels of which are surrounded by arches consisting of three successive arches adorning the back of each arch, with niches in the form of a mihrab inserted between them. The decorative forms used characterize the group of African (Tunisian) decorations of the Zirid-Fatimid period, and are found in several buildings dating back to the 4th century AH / 10th century AD, such as Church of the Great Mosque of Mahdia. When entering the mosque from the side door on the northern side, we find ourselves in an inner courtyard of limited size, overlooked on its four sides by corridors with pillars in the shape of a cruciform, bearing broken arches. Some columns flank the supports and add to the simple elegance of this group. The porticoes are roofed with perpendicular vaults separated from each other by twin horseshoe-shaped arches. The Qibli court is characterized by a prominent nave roofed by a dome whose shield is mounted directly on a square base, pierced at the corners by four niches. The minaret rises in the northwestern corner. It is built of carved stone on a square base, and is composed of two successive towers and a skylight. The height of the minaret is 15 metres, and its appearance reminds us of the minaret of the Great Mosque of Kairouan, and it is distinguished from it by the precision of its workmanship, its facade consisting of a row of discs. The latter is surmounted by an exquisite inscription in lush Kufic calligraphy, ending with stones carved in the form of rosettes made of five lobes. Some archaeological investigations have made it possible to confirm that the original minaret, which dates back to the Aghlabid period, was covered by a carved building cover during the Fatimid-Ziri era. The passage is made through ten doors from the courtyard to the prayer hall, which follows an innovative plan in the form of a triangle, the western part of which was cut off from the original courtyard part. The current prayer hall consists of seven naves, entirely roofed with perpendicular vaults supported by arches linked at both ends. It is supported by columns with ancient capitals. The middle tile is wider than the others, similar to the Cyrene model. However, a second dome of the same style as the dome of the courtyard rises along the central nave, and occupies a position deviated from the axis, as it used to mark the mihrab of the prayer hall, which dates back to the 6th century AH / 12th century AD. As for the current mihrab, which dates back to the 12th century AH / 18th century AD, it is distinguished by an inscription above niches that has the shape of a mihrab, the back of which is round in shape.
Sample Text
Saloua Zangar “Great Mosque of Sfax” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;tn;Mon01;18;ar
