Great Mosque of Sousse
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| Great Mosque of Sousse الجامع الكبير بسوسة | |
|---|---|
 View of the domed kiosk from the sahn | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Region | North Africa |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Sousse, Tunisia |
 Interactive map of Great Mosque of Sousse الجامع الكبير بسوسة | |
| Coordinates | 35°49′37″N 10°38′23″E / 35.82694°N 10.63972°E |
| Architecture | |
| Architect | Mudam al-Khadim |
| Type | Mosque |
| Style | Moorish (Aghlabid) |
| Completed | 851 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 50 m (167 ft) |
| Width | 57 m (190 ft) |
The Great Mosque of Sousse (Arabic: الجامع الكبير بسوسة) is a historical mosque in the coastal city of Sousse, Tunisia. The construction dates back to 851, during the rule of the Aghlabid dynasty, vassals of the Abbasid Caliphate. It was commissioned by the ruler Abu al-‘Abbas Muhammad al-Aghlabi. It is a major monument of Aghlabid architecture in the early Islamic period. The mosque was renovated and its prayer hall expanded multiple times over the following centuries.
In the year 800 the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid granted the governorship of Ifriqiya (roughly modern-day Tunisia) to Ibrahim ibn al-Aghlab, who founded the Aghlabid dynasty that ruled the region for the next century, nominally on behalf of their Abbasid overlords. The Aghlabids were major builders and a relatively large number of early Islamic monuments built under their patronage have survived.[1] The oldest mosque in the city (and the oldest preserved Muslim prayer hall in North Africa)[2] is in the nearby Ribat of Sousse, founded in the 8th century and modified or rebuilt in 821.[3][4] As the city's population grew during the 9th century, the Ribat's mosque most likely became too small to serve the town's population, inciting the Aghlabid's sponsoring of a new congregational mosque for the community.[5]
The Great Mosque of Sousse was commissioned by the Aghlabid amir (ruler) Abu'l-Abbas Muhammad I in 851.[5] Its construction was supervised by Mudam al-Khadim, a freed slave and mawla of Abu'l-Abbas.[6][7]: 23 The mosque's prayer hall was expanded southwards later in the same century.[5] The portico in front of the prayer hall, on the south side of the courtyard, was added in the 11th century under the Zirid dynasty, who also restored or decorated the mihrab (niche in the southern wall symbolizing the qibla) and the domed tower-pavilion at the northeast corner. Another restoration took place in 1785, when the southern portico was renovated.[8]
Since 1988, the mosque is a part of UNESCO World Heritage Site encompassing the Medina of Sousse.[9]
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