Great Mosque of Sfax
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| Great Mosque of Sfax | |
|---|---|
الجامع الكبير بصفاقس | |
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Sfax, Tunisia |
 Interactive map of Great Mosque of Sfax | |
| Coordinates | 34°44′10″N 10°45′39″E / 34.73611°N 10.76083°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque |
| Style | Moorish (Aghlabid, Zirid) |
| Established | c. 849 |
| Specifications | |
| Dome | 2 |
| Minaret | 1 |
| Minaret height | approx. 25 metres (82 ft) |
| Materials | brick, stone, marble |
The Great Mosque of Sfax (Arabic: الجامع الكبير بصفاقس) was the most important mosque in the old city of Sfax, Tunisia. It was initially built towards the mid-9th century under the rule of the Aghlabid dynasty. The mosque was the urban and religious heart of the city and it underwent several major modifications in later periods.[1] Architecturally, it is notable for its minaret and its unusually decorated eastern façade.[1]
The mosque is located in the center of the ancient city of Sfax and occupies the very center of it, which made the layout of the city of Sfax very similar to the planning of Kufa, one of the first Islamic cities.[2] Since its construction, it has been surrounded by the most important production centers and markets in the city, and continues to maintain its economic value to this day.[3]
History
Foundation
The Great Mosque of Sfax is not precisely dated, but assumed to be built around the same time, c. 849 CE, but it was extensively modified after the Aghlabid period.[4][5] The sponsor of its construction was reputedly the qadi 'Ali ibn Aslam al-Jabanyani, a student of the Maliki scholar Imam Sahnun.[4] The original layout of the mosque was probably very similar to that of the Great Mosque of Kairouan, rebuilt early that century under the Aghlabid emir Ziyadat Allah I.[6]: 25
Zirid period
Repairs to the mosque took place in first 980 and then 988, under the rule of the Zirids (vassals of the Fatimid Caliphs).[7] In the 10th century the mosque was reduced in size by suppressing its western half, giving it a much narrower floor plan and leaving the minaret standing at its corner instead of at the middle of the courtyard's northern side, as was usual at the time.[6]: 72 [8]: 135 [4] Inscriptions in the mosque record renovations in both 988 and 1085.[1] Georges Marçais attributed the reduction of the mosque's area to 988 and its redecoration to 1085.[6]: 72 The original mihrab was replaced with a new one of Zirid style at the middle of the now shortened qibla (southern) wall.[1] During the Zirid period the original Aghlabid minaret, which was probably a slender two-story tower, was encased inside a larger new minaret, which was built around it in the early 11th century.[4] The unusually decorated exterior eastern façade of the mosque is also attributed to the Zirid period by multiple scholars, including Georges Marçais and Lucien Golvin.[1][6]: 108
Ottoman period
The mosque was enlarged in the 18th century, during the Beylik period, by re-extending the prayer hall to the west, giving it its present layout. The expansion took place in 1758 and in 1774.[1] were the architects of the mosque.As a result of this expansion, the mosque's surface area became similar to its hypothesized original size, but the courtyard remained small compared to the prayer hall.[4][6]: 72–73 A new mihrab was crafted in the middle of the qibla wall of the expanded prayer hall, while the old Zirid mihrab was walled off.[1] The architects in charge of this work were, Haj Sa'id al-Qatti, the chief mason, and the artist Tahar al-Manif, who is also named as the craftsman of the mihrab.[9]: 13–14
In the 19th century the minaret was renovated by Ibn Yemlûl al-Bergavâtî.[7][additional citation(s) needed]
French occupation
The period of French occupation was considered to be the darkest period for the great mosque since its establishment. The bombs dropped by the French military fleet during the siege in 1881 had caused substantial damages to the minaret of the mosque. After the French soldiers succeeded in taking over the city, they turned the mosque into barracks where soldiers wash their clothes, and they used the bowl of the mosque to connect their horses.[citation needed] During World War II, in 1942, two other bombs fell on the mosque. Two local contractors, Mohamed Trabelsi and Najjar Ali Shaker, took the collateral damage that caused by them.[citation needed]
Post-independence
After the independence of Tunisia, the mosque received major repairs in its various sections. During the process, a terrace built in its eastern side was demolished to protect the building from rainwater leakage.[citation needed]
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