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
AffiliationIslam
DistrictMedina
ProvinceTunis
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusMosque
Location
LocationKairouan, Tunisia
Architecture
TypeMosque
Completed1683
Minaret(s)1

Architecture

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The 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]

References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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..
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "Monuments de Kairouan" (in French). isesco.org.ma.