The Al Bey Mosque (Arabic: مسجد الباي) is a mosque located in the medina of Kairouan, Tunisia.[1] Built around 1094 AH (1683),[2] it was constructed by Muradid bey Mohamed Bey for the Hanafi community of Kairouan during a conflict with his brother Ali Bey.[3][4]
| Al Bey Mosque | |
|---|---|
 Arches and minaret | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| District | Medina |
| Province | Tunis |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Mosque |
| Location | |
| Location | Kairouan, Tunisia |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque |
| Completed | 1683 |
| Minaret(s) | 1 |
Architecture
editThe mosque, built over the souks, has an irregular plan and consists of a main prayer hall, three courtyards, a minaret, and an additional prayer hall for women.[2] Access to the building is through three staircases, the most significant of which is located on Balhouen Street, opposite the Al Malek Mosque,[1] leading to one of the courtyards.
The main prayer hall, with a square plan, occupies the southern part of the building and measures approximately 20 x 20 meters.[2] Its wooden ceiling[2] rests on thirty ancient columns.[1] At the intersection of the main nave and the bay along the qibla wall, in front of the mihrab, there is a dome in the shape of a pyramid. The mihrab is decorated with carved stucco and set within a marble frame.[2]
In the southwest corner of the northern courtyard stands a square-based minaret, consisting of a tower decorated with blind niches and crowned by a lantern.[2] The western gallery of the same courtyard houses a rectangular prayer hall reserved exclusively for women.[2]
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Arches and minaret. -
View of some columns. -
Wooden beam ceiling with an inscription indicating the date of its construction. -
Plaque of the monument.
References
edit- ^ a b c d'Errico, Enrico (October 30, 1980). "Restauration des mosquées Al Malek et Al Bey de Kairouan" (PDF) (in French). unesdoc.unesco.org. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Les monuments religieux" (in French). fmsh-devar.fr. August 14, 2009. Archived from the original on January 18, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2020..
- ^ Ibn Abi Dhiaf (1990). Présent des hommes de notre temps. Chroniques des rois de Tunis et du pacte fondamental (in French). Vol. II. Tunisia: Maison tunisienne de l'édition. p. 77.
- ^ "Monuments de Kairouan" (in French). isesco.org.ma.
