Attraction
Bardo National Museum
Tunisia's oldest and most important museum, set in a former beylical palace and home to one of the world's great collections of Roman mosaics.
Zitouna Mosque
The great mosque at the heart of the Tunis medina, founded around 698 and rebuilt in the ninth century, once one of the Islamic world's leading centres of learning.
At a glance
- Type
- Historic mosque
- Area
- Medina, Tunis, Tunisia
Good to know
- Courtyard view from nearby terraces
Why we recommend it
The Zitouna Mosque, also called the Great Mosque of Tunis, is the spiritual and physical centre of the medina, and the souks wrap around its walls. Most scholars attribute its foundation to Hasan ibn al-Nu'man around 698, and its present form dates from an Aghlabid reconstruction completed in 864 to 865, credited to an architect named Fathallah. The tall square minaret that you see from across the old city is much later: it was built in 1894 in a style inspired by the minaret of the Kasbah Mosque.
The prayer hall has fifteen aisles and around 160 columns, most of them reused antique pieces probably brought from Carthage. The dome at the entrance to the prayer hall dates from around 991, and the galleries around the courtyard come from several periods, including columns imported from Italy in the nineteenth century. From around the thirteenth century the mosque became the most important educational institution in Tunisia, teaching law, theology, grammar, history and medicine; the historian Ibn Khaldun studied here.
Only Muslims may enter the prayer hall. Non-Muslim visitors usually see the courtyard and minaret from outside or from the terraces of cafés and shops in the surrounding souks, which give a good view across the arcades and roofs. Approach respectfully, dress modestly and avoid prayer times, especially at midday on Fridays when the lanes around the mosque are at their busiest.
A visit here is short in itself, but it is the natural anchor for a walk through the medina. The perfume souk, Souk El Attarine, runs along the northern side of the mosque and has been selling essences, rose water and henna since the Hafsid period. The Fondouk El Attarine restaurant and craft shop is a few steps away, as are several of the medina's old madrasas.
The mosque suits anyone interested in architecture and Islamic history, and photographers will want to come in the morning, when light falls into the lanes. From Bab el Bhar, follow the gently rising lanes through the souks; the minaret is a useful landmark, and almost every main route in the medina eventually brings you to the mosque's walls. Give yourself time to stop along the way rather than heading straight there.
Zitouna Mosque FAQs
Can non-Muslims enter the Zitouna Mosque?
Only Muslims may enter the prayer hall. Non-Muslims can see the courtyard and minaret from outside and from nearby terraces.
How old is the mosque?
It was founded around 698 and its present form dates largely from a ninth-century Aghlabid rebuilding completed in 864 to 865.
When was the minaret built?
The current minaret dates from 1894 and imitates the minaret of the Kasbah Mosque.
Why is the mosque important?
It was for centuries Tunisia's leading centre of learning, and Ibn Khaldun was among its students.
How do I get there?
Enter the medina at Bab el Bhar and follow the rising lanes through the souks towards the minaret.
What should I wear nearby?
Dress modestly, covering shoulders and knees, and avoid blocking doorways at prayer times.
What is nearby?
Souk El Attarine, the perfume souk, runs along its northern side, and Fondouk El Attarine is close by.