Great Mosque Of Sfax

The Great Mosque of Sfax ( ar, الجامع الكبير بصفاقس) is the first mosque established in the historic city of Sfax, Tunisia. It dates back to the same year of the construction of the city wall which is in 849. It was built during the Aghlabid rule of Ifriqiya in the 9th-century which served as a vassal state of the Abbasid Caliphate. The mosque was specifically commissioned during the period of Imam Sahnoun, a Maliki jurist from Kairouan.

Location

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. 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.

History

With the change of the rulers and situation in the city of Sfax, the grand mosque had undergone many transformations.

Establishment

The construction of the mosque began in conjunction with the construction of the city wall of Sfax in 849 AD during the rule of Kadi Ali bin Salim. After about 10 years (859 AD), its clay and mud construction were renewed during the reign of Abu Ibrahim Ahmed bin al-Aghlab.

Senhaji era

Repairs and improvements to the mosque took place in first 980 AD and then 988 AD, during the reign of emir Sanhaji Abi Al-Fotouh Al-Mansur. The domes were added to the building, one of which rises over the main door and another facing to the south. Most of the mosque was renovated as well, and the minaret was raised to about 25m high and decorated with Islamic geometric patterns and inscriptions. When Hamu ibn Malil al-Barghawati took over the city of Sfax from the Senhaji rule (1059 AD-1100 AD), he also made other improvements to the great mosque.

18th century

In 1702 AD, Imam Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Farati assumed the imam of the great mosque, and spent his fortune to renovate and restore the mosque, including the creation of a new minbar for himself. The renovations and improvements continue until 1774. The minaret was also enlarged in 1758 AD in this period.

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.

Later in the 19th century, the minaret was renovated by Ibn Yemlûl al-Bergavâtî.

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.

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.

See also

*List of the oldest mosques
*History of medieval Arabic and Western European domes

References

{{Authority control
Buildings and structures completed in the 9th century
9th-century mosques
Mosques in Sfax
Sfax
Aghlabid architecture