Al-Zaytuna Mosque

Al-Zaytuna Mosque
جامع الزيتونة
Religion
AffiliationIslam
Branch/traditionSunni
Location
LocationTunis, Tunisia
Al-Zaytuna Mosque is located in Tunisia
Al-Zaytuna Mosque
Shown within Tunisia
Geographic coordinates36°47′50″N 10°10′16″E / 36.7972°N 10.1711°E / 36.7972; 10.1711
Architecture
Architect(s)Fathallah (Fath al-Banna')
TypeMosque
StyleMoorish (Aghlabid and other periods)
Date established698 CE
Completed864 CE (with later additions)
Specifications
Minaret(s)1
Minaret height43 meters (141 ft 1 in)

Al-Zaytuna Mosque, also known as Ez-Zitouna Mosque, and El-Zituna Mosque (Arabic: جامع الزيتونة, literally meaning the Mosque of Olive), is a major mosque at the center of the Medina of Tunis in Tunis, Tunisia. The mosque is the oldest in the city and covers an area of 5,000 square metres (1.2 acres) with nine entrances.[1] It was founded at the end of the 7th century or in the early 8th century, but its current architectural form dates from a reconstruction in the 9th century, including many antique columns reused from Carthage, and from later additions and restorations over the centuries.[2][3] The mosque hosted one of the first and greatest universities in the history of Islam.[4][better source needed] Many Muslim scholars graduated from al-Zaytuna for over a thousand years. Ibn 'Arafa, a major Maliki scholar, al-Maziri, the great traditionalist and jurist, and Aboul-Qacem Echebbi, a famous Tunisian poet, all taught there, among others.[1][5][6]

  1. ^ a b Ben Achour, M.A. (1991). Masjid al-Zaytūna: al-rijalu wa’l ma’lem [The Zaytuna Mosque: the men and the monument] (in Arabic). Tunis: Cérès Production.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :052 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "About Zaytuna Institute". Zaytuna Institute of California. Archived from the original on 2009-02-27.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference zay-ws was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Al-Zaytuna Theological and Scientific Influence on the Islamic World". Al-Zaytuna Mosque. Archived from the original on 2010-05-12. Retrieved 2009-02-06.