Souk El Kmach ( ar, سوق القماش) or the fabrics market is one of the most important

souks A bazaar () or souk (; also transliterated as souq) is a marketplace consisting of multiple small stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, North Africa and India. However, temporary open markets elsewhere, such as in the W ...

of the medina of Tunis. It is the place where fabrics and tissues are sold, whether they are made in

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or luxury products especially imported like

silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...

linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...

History

The souk was constructed at the order of the Hafsid sovereign Abou Amr Uthman in the

15th century The 15th century was the century which spans the Julian dates from 1 January 1401 ( MCDI) to 31 December 1500 ( MD). In Europe, the 15th century includes parts of the Late Middle Ages, the Early Renaissance, and the early modern period. M ...

at the place of an older souk, namely Souk El Rammadine.

Location

Souk El Kmach goes along with the western facade of the Al-Zaytuna Mosque. In fact, it offers easy access to the mosque through three doors. Also, it is bounded by three other souks : Souk El Trouk,

Souk El Leffa Souk El Leffa ( ar, سوق اللَفة), also called Souk of Djerbians, is one of the souks of the medina of Tunis. It is called as such because it was mainly occupied by merchants from the Tunisian island of Djerba. Location The souk is situa ...

and Souk El Nissa. Two doors provide direct access to Souk El Kmach : Souk El Attarine's is known for its two Spanish-Maghrebi capitals columns. Bab Souk El Kmach is a gate.

Description

The souk has three aisles separated by two rows of columns. The one at the centre allows traffic while the two lateral aisles give access to the stores. All the souk is covered by longitudinal cradles. Yet, some skylights in the central vault illuminate the place. This lighting system can be found in the stores of the souk, too. Among the monuments of this souk are the madrasa Mouradiya and the zawiya of the savant Ibn Asfour.

References

{{Coord missing, Tunisia Kmach