Great Mosque (Olive Tree Mosque) in Tunis, Tunis resort
Rating: 7,5/10 (100 votes)  The Great Mosque is the oldest and largest mosque in Tunisia, it is the spiritual center of the old city (medina). It is also called the olive tree mosque, as one of the legends says that a beautiful olive tree grew in the place where the mosque now stands. The construction of the mosque continued throughout the 8th century. Over its centuries-old history, it has undergone many changes. In 991, the dome over the main hall was completed, in 1419 - the library, in 1637 - the lobby, in 1782 the decor of the ceilings was renewed. In the 19th century, the minaret was enlarged, raising it to a sufficiently high height, and now a magnificent view of the rooftops opens from here houses of the old city. The chic wooden ceiling is supported by horseshoe-shaped columns and arches. Mihrab is located under the main dome and is a masterpiece of oriental woodcarvers. The floor of the mosque is covered with grass mats, and the large crystal chandelier on the ceiling was brought from Italy. There are many madrasahs around the mosque. For ritual ablutions in the mosque, only rainwater is used, which is collected in special cisterns. The doors of the mosque are open to non-Muslims, but you can only go to the courtyard, and the entrance to the inner premises and a prayer hall is prohibited. The Great Mosque is included in the World Heritage List as the historic building of the medina (old city) of Tunisia. We also recommend reading Troglodyte caves in Tunis Topic: Great Mosque (Olive Tree Mosque) in Tunis, Tunis resort. |
