Information
Landmark: Ez-Zitouna MosqueCity: Tunis
Country: Tunisia
Continent: Africa
Ez-Zitouna Mosque, Tunis, Tunisia, Africa
Overview
The Zitouna Mosque-often called Ez-Zitouna, or “Mosque of the Olive Tree” in Arabic-stands as one of the Arab-Islamic world’s most treasured landmarks, its white minaret bright against the Tunis sky.You’ll find it right in the heart of Tunis’s old medina, where narrow cobblestone alleys wind through the capital of Tunisia.Here’s a detailed look at its past: in 732 CE (114 AH), Ubayd Allah ibn al-Habhab, the Umayyad governor of Ifriqiya-the old Islamic name for North Africa-ordered the mosque’s construction, its stone walls still cool in the morning shade.What we see today owes much of its shape and splendor to sweeping renovations in the 9th century, especially under the Aghlabid dynasty when Emir Abū Ibrāhīm Aḥmad oversaw its expansion.Across the centuries, dynasties such as the Fatimids, Zirids, Almohads, Hafsids, and Ottomans restored and adorned it-adding carved stone doorways, bright tiles, and other touches of their era.The mosque spreads across roughly 5,000 square meters, laid out in a broad rectangle that catches the light along its stone edges.There are nine entrances, leading into a wide courtyard where sunlight spills across arcades of graceful horseshoe-shaped arches.Inside the prayer hall, 184 weathered columns stand, said to have been carried from Roman and Byzantine ruins, including the crumbling stones of Carthage.The columns vary in size and style, and together they give the mosque a historic charm, like the uneven rhythm of footsteps echoing across its stone floor.In 1894, during the Husainid dynasty, builders added the minaret, a slender tower rising about 44 meters into the sky.It’s a perfect square, built in the classic North African style, with lines as straight as a ruler.The Zitouna Mosque isn’t only where people gather to pray; it also stands as a center of learning, its quiet courtyards once filled with the murmur of scholars.It grew into a celebrated hub of Islamic scholarship, the University of Ez-Zitouna, where students once pored over worn manuscripts by lamplight.Starting in the 8th century, it grew into a thriving center of learning, drawing scholars from every corner of the Islamic world, their voices echoing in crowded courtyards.They taught not just theology and Islamic law (fiqh), but also science, mathematics, medicine, and literature-the kind of range that could take you from debating scripture to measuring the stars.Long before the modern era, the University of Zitouna stood among North Africa’s most respected centers of learning, rivaling Al-Qarawiyyin in Fez and Al-Azhar in Cairo, where the murmur of scholars once filled cool, shaded courtyards.The Zitouna Mosque drew some of the Maghreb’s most respected minds-scholars, theologians, jurists, and writers-who once debated ideas beneath its cool stone arches.It was central to Tunisia’s intellectual, political, and social life, especially in the medieval and early modern eras, influencing everything from scholarly debates to the bustle of its marketplaces.Even under French colonial rule, the Zitouna Mosque stood firm, its call to prayer carrying the spirit of Islamic identity and Tunisian pride through the crowded streets.Today, Tunisia’s universities reflect a modern system, yet the Zitouna still stands-its old stone walls echoing a centuries‑long devotion to Islamic scholarship and learning.The mosque still hums with daily prayers and small classes on scripture, though its purpose has shifted since the grandeur of its medieval prime.In Tunis, it draws crowds for its calm, sunlit charm, the sense of history in its walls, and the graceful balance of its design.Notable Aspects - Name Origin: In Arabic, “Zitouna” translates to “olive,” the fruit with smooth green skin and a sharp, briny bite.According to some traditions, the mosque rose on the spot where an old olive tree once grew, its silver-green leaves giving the place its name.Architecture: Alongside the Roman and Byzantine columns, you’ll spot arches with a warm Andalusian curve, proof of how styles once mingled across the Mediterranean’s Islamic world.It sits in the heart of the Tunis medina, a UNESCO World Heritage site, its white minaret rising above the market stalls as a clear sign of its religious and cultural importance.The Zitouna Mosque is more than a place to pray-it’s a towering symbol where Islamic faith meets scholarship, framed by arches that echo North Africa’s rich architectural past.
