The most beautiful religious buildings Tunisia

The first mosque in the Western Muslim world, the Great Mosque of Kairouan, or Sidi Okbafut Mosque, was built around 680 by the founder of the city. Rebuilt three times, in 695, 774 and 836, it was then enlarged twice, in 862 and 875, to finally adopt an Aghlabid architecture that evokes more a fortress than a place of worship. A place of learning, the Great Mosque of Kairouan attracted intellectuals from all over the Arab world. With a unique exterior appearance - its ochre brick seems almost lustrous - the mosque has been brilliantly restored since 1962. In the middle of the ramparts, its vast marble-paved courtyard features a sundial that indicates the hours of prayer, as well as a rain collector for the ablutions of the faithful. The floor of the courtyard is marked with a multitude of holes designed to filter rainwater and lead it to the underground cisterns.

Like all primitive mosques, the Sidi Okba mosque consists of a prayer room, called " beit es Salât ", and a courtyard, " sahn" . The prayer room is rectangular, basilica type, and looks very similar to that of the mosque El Aqsâ. Both have naves placed perpendicular to the back wall, according to the order of the Christian basilicas. This superb building offers a beautiful unity despite its construction in several stages. The columns that surround it (there are more than 400 of them!), in pink or black marble, come in part from different ancient ruins of the country, including Carthage. There is also a mihrab, a niche placed against the back wall and indicating the direction of Mecca, decorated with tiles of the ninth century brought from Baghdad. The minbar, the preaching pulpit where the imam stands, is also an admirable piece, made of carved cedar wood from Mesopotamia. The courtyard of the mosque includes three galleries. Paved with stone, it offers the best angle to admire the three-story minaret, square and massive. The upper tower ends in a dome. The door frame of the minaret is made of carved stone, remarkable for the richness and beauty of its motifs. The steps of the staircase inside the minaret are all ancient gravestones from Christian cemeteries. The symphony of the columns and capitals of the prayer hall, the arabesques of the bas-reliefs, the gilding of the mihrab, the purity of the crystal chandeliers: these masterpieces make the Great Mosque one of the most beautiful monuments in the Muslim world.

If the island has about twenty synagogues, the synagogue of Ghriba deserves a visit during your stay in Djerba. This place of prayer carries a legend that all Djerbians know: a foreigner would have come to settle in this place, alone with her tent. One night, during a storm, her tent caught fire and she died of asphyxiation, but her body remained intact and untouched. The synagogue was built on the site of the miracle and is called La Ghriba in memory of this stranger. The date of creation of the synagogue is uncertain and, another legend or reality, some say that the first stone of the building would come from the temple of Solomon. The current state of the building dates from its last renovation in 1938. The exterior architecture, in the colors of Tunisia, white and blue, does not present any real interest. By respecting the conditions of access, crossing the security portico and covering the head and shoulders, one enters this very oriental decor of glazed tiles, baroque woodwork, gold objects, silver ornaments and colored stained glass. The light is subdued and there is a smell of incense. In this spiritual atmosphere, rabbis spent (and sometimes still spend) their day chanting and singing. Comfortably seated in relaxed attitudes, they seem to ignore visitors. The Ghriba houses one of the oldest Torahs in the world: the scrolls of the Pentateuch that contain the essence of the Mosaic Law, the Jewish Law. It is locked up in the synagogue throughout the week. On Saturday, the Sabbath, the chief rabbi opens the carved wooden doors adorned with chiseled jewels that protect it, takes out the Torah and comments on it before the faithful. According to the rabbis of the Ghriba synagogue, the Jews of the island have been living in Djerba since 586 BC, the date on which Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem. Taking with them certain manuscripts of the Tables of the Law, Jewish communities settled all over the world, mainly in North Africa. In 539, Cyrus, king of the Persians, authorized the return of the Jews to the holy city. Many returned, others remained where they were, notably in Djerba. While retaining their religion, they became Arabs, adopted Arab names and language, but did not convert to Islam. Early Arab literature includes some of the finest works written by Jewish poets and singers. More than 2,000 years passed until a significant decline in the community was felt with the proclamation of the State of Israel in 1948. The current Jewish community has only 650 members, almost all of whom are gathered in Er Riadh. In Djerba, the understanding between Jews and Muslims is perfect, you will probably have the opportunity to notice it by yourself in the Souks of the Jewelers or in the Jewish quarter where you may go to eat a brik. A pilgrimage is held every year at La Ghriba, three weeks after the Jewish Passover. For two days, the Tables of the Law are carried across the island. This event attracts many believers from all over the world, it is also a very popular festival for all Djerbians, whether Jews, Muslims or Christians, who meet here to celebrate together a message of love and peace. This is another illustration of the extraordinary way in which people live together in Djerba.

Vibrant heart of the medina, the Great Mosque, accessible from the street Jamâa-ez-Zitouna, which also bears the name of Mosque of the Olive Tree (ez-Zitouna), has a classico-Roman look with its arcades and columns with capitals not very Moorish. The largest mosque in Tunis was first built in 698, when the city was founded, by the Umayyad governor Obeid Allah ibn Al-Habhab, then rebuilt entirely from 856 to 863 by the Aghlabid emir Abu Ibrahim and, thereafter, regularly reworked. It is still very much alive and continues to provide religious instruction and to gather the faithful for the five daily prayers. Its architecture presents certain analogies with the mosque of Kairouan. The hypostyle room, the prayer room, with 15 naves, has no less than 184 columns and ancient capitals, probably from the ruins of Carthage. The monument has undergone many transformations over time. The contribution of the Turks was materialized by the addition of a gallery on three sides of the court (in 1653) and the rise of a new minaret which was replaced in 1834 by a tower of 44 m, with the decoration inspired by the Hispano-Moorish minaret of the mosque of the Kasbah. The Ez-Zitouna mosque housed for centuries the prestigious university that bears its name. Its roof and its prayer room have undergone numerous restoration works since independence. The beautiful porch of the National Library can be seen next to it.

Numerous mosques of great purity are spread throughout Djerba. They are self-contained, unlike those that prevail elsewhere in the medinas of the Maghreb. The oldest mosques date back to the end of the 8th century and are ibadhite. Ibadhism is a movement of Islam advocating the virtue of work, egalitarian principles and the moral and spiritual qualities required of the guides elected by their peers. This assembly of wise men, the Azzabas, was in charge of the religious and social organization of the community's life.

Today we can see 3 types of mosques in Djerba: the mosques of the coastline, which constituted a first line of defense; within earshot of each other, they ensured a primary role of surveillance. The fortified mosques, with their massive appearance, formed a second line of rear defense. Finally, the inland mosques, sometimes underground to serve as a refuge, were dedicated, in addition to the functions of worship, to teaching and the organization of civic life. The mosques of Houmt Souk are very interesting. Their visit is forbidden to non-Muslims and we will be satisfied with admiring the exterior. The zaouia of Sidi Brahim (named after the saint who rests there) reminds a little of the Fatimid mosques. The tile dome has an original bell shape. Opposite, the mosque of the Foreigners is recognized by its multiple domes. Finally, that of the Turks, dated from the 18th century, has a minaret with a typical Turkish lantern.

The tophet of Salammbô, also called tophet of Carthage, is the oldest Punic place in Carthage. In this sanctuary were buried, for seven centuries, small urns containing the ashes of the first-born of the noble families of the city, immolated in sacrifice. With this act, the Carthaginians hoped to see their wishes fulfilled or thanked the divinities for those already realized. Fans of the comic books on the adventures of Alix relive here The Spectre of Carthage. We regret the lack of information and the lack of maintenance of this site.

Built in 1963 and enlarged several times, this monument has housed the remains of the former president under a vast golden dome since 2000. On the sides of the main building, two other smaller domes, green in color, and dominated by two minarets 25 m high, house the graves of the parents of the president and that of his first wife. On the right, one can see the small marabout of Sidi Bou Zid, whose dome is made of clay tubes. The vast esplanade in front of the mausoleum is a pleasant place for family and popular gatherings.

Built in 849 by a student of the jurist Sahnoun, the cadi Ali Ben Salem Jebenyani. It was enlarged several times, the last one in 1758 by the Turks. The prayer room is square. The courtyard is framed by 4 galleries. The minaret and the big door of access to the prayer room remind those of the mosque of Kairouan. It is on the cool mats of the prayer room that were once taken the major decisions that marked the history of the city. At independence, the renovation work gave back to the building its style and its simplicity.

Today the main mosque of the city, its construction was completed in 1963. It represents an attempt to renew religious art in Tunisia: the prayer room is square, the capitals of hafside style. Starting from a fairly traditional architectural base, it incorporates materials of high quality: columns of pink marble or onyx, golden mosaics, glass chandeliers, etc.. The mosque includes three courtyards paved with white marble. Non-Muslims will have to be content with admiring its high octagonal minaret, as access is forbidden to them.

It is dedicated to a companion of the Prophet, whose peculiarity was that he always wore three hairs of Muhammad's beard. Its foundation is ancient, and the current building was built in several times. The dome of the mausoleum dates from 1629, the minaret from 1690. As elsewhere in Kairouan, one finds here stucco or cedar ceilings worked and, on the walls, many colored earthenware with patterns. One also appreciates a charming patio lined with colonnades.

Built between 838 and 841 by Bou Ftâta, the affranchi of the Amir El Aghlab Abu Iqâl, who gave her his name, is characterized by her simplicity and a great recount. The prayer room is square. Its dimensions are relatively modest, which implies that it was reserved for the Amir. But she does not visit…

Built by the Aghlabid emir, Abu El Abbas, in 850, it owes its massive and severe architecture as well as its eccentric location in relation to the city to its defensive function. In some respects, it is reminiscent of the Okba mosque in Kairouan. One can read a paleochristian influence, especially in the decoration of the mihrab. Divided into 13 naves, the prayer room is elongated. The mosque has the originality to be without minaret. The building stones, often uneven, give an archaic and charming aspect to the building.

The (very beautiful and well-preserved) Catholic Saint-Vincent-de-Paul cathedral, in Romanesque-Byzantine style, is close to the Place de l'Indépendance. It is named after the founder of the Lazarists and the Daughters of Charity who was sold as a slave in Tunis at the beginning of the 17th century while still a young priest. Built in several phases between 1893 and 1897, it was renovated in the late 1990s. The building hosted a visit by Pope John Paul II in 1998.

Built by the Aghlabids and enlarged by the Hafsids, the Great Mosque of Gafsa is the third largest mosque in Tunisia. It would have seen the day between the year 800 and the year 909. As often in Tunisia, non-Muslims are only allowed to visit the courtyard. Its architecture is identical to that of Kairouan and the Zitouna mosque in Tunis. The court is surrounded by columns with capitals borrowed from other ancient monuments. Only the minaret is recent (and dates from the twentieth century), since the old minaret was in ruins.

Nefta is distinguished from Tozeur by its major religious role. Second holy city of Tunisia after Kairouan, it welcomes since the ninth century Sufi pilgrimages. The city has many religious buildings: two mosques and more than a hundred marabouts punctuate its landscape with their white domes. The most famous, located at the edge of the Corbeille, is the marabout of Sidi Bou Ali, a Sufi saint of the XIIIth century. It is the oldest place of pilgrimage of the city. Pilgrims still come from all over the country to venerate him.

The mosque of Bled el-Hadhar (or Blad El Hadhar) is built on Roman vestiges which were used as a basis for the construction of the minaret, it was enlarged in the twelfth century, its official date of construction was set at 1193. Although smaller in size, its shape resembles the Okba Mosque in Kairouan. Its courtyard is framed by four galleries. A median nave shares the prayer room, going from the entrance to the mihrab.

Its name comes from a Turkish admiral, whose mausoleum is adjacent to the building. The precise history of the mosque is not well documented. In 1893, it was restored to become a mosque-cathedral. The minaret, dating from 1448, is the oldest part. The mosque consists of a prayer hall, a room for the imam and a minaret at the southeast corner. It is surrounded by three patios on the east, north and south sides. The main entrance is on the eastern side and opens onto Sidi Abbas Street. It is distinguished by its typical Ottoman style.

Dating from the 14th century, the Fadhloun mosque is one of the most amazing on the island. The monument is composed of three sub-assemblies: a prayer hall built in the middle of a fenced courtyard whose floor is covered with lime, interior dependencies including a main room dedicated to Quranic teaching and two minor rooms intended one for housing, the other for food reserves, and finally exterior dependencies for ritual ablutions and a Quranic school. Finally, the complex includes an underground grain mill and bakery!

It was founded by the Arab dynasty of the Beni Lami who reigned on Gabes in the th century following the hilalienne invasion.

Its architecture is unique: The vaults of the prayer room are supported by broken horseshoe arches and antique columns.

With its leaning minaret, this austere mosque is dazzlingly white. The view is superb! A legend is attached to this troglodyte monument. This place would shelter the cave where took refuge a group of believers fleeing persecutions related to their faith. They would have woken up there after a sleep of... 309 years! The place presents another particularity just as enigmatic: the presence of several giant tombs of 5 meters whose origin remains to this day unexplained.