| Sidi Elyes Mosque | |
|---|---|
جامع سيدي إلياس | |
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Location | |
| Location | Sfax, Tunisia |
  Shown within Tunisia | |
| Geographic coordinates | 34°44′02.0″N10°45′32.5″E / 34.733889°N 10.759028°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | mosque |
The Sidi Elyes Mosque (Arabic: جامع سيدي إلياس) is one of the most important and oldest mosques of the medina of Sfax , Tunisia.
The mosque is located in the "Houmet Al Hisar" (literally the quarter of the embargo in Arabic), also known as "Haret el Sonnaa" or the quarter of the workers according to Mahmoud Megdiche. This residential quarter is located in the south-western part of the Medina. It is limited on the south by the main Kasbah's square, on the west by Borj El Ksar street, on the north by Amilcar Street and on the east side by Sidi Abbes street. [1] The neighborhood where the mosque is located is considered one of the most important districts of the medina as it is the closest to the kasbah, which gave it an important economic role. Moreover, most artisans of the medina have been living there for decades.
Unfortunately, the history of this monument is not well documented. According to an inscription found at the southern facade of his minaret, it was restored during the reign of the Hafsid prince Abu Omar Othman (1485–1488), proof of its existence in the 15th century. The only second trace on its history is found in the list of religious monuments set by students of the military school of Bardo in 1857. [2]
During the 20th century, the Sidi Elyes mosque underwent 3 renovation interventions in 1960, 1969 and 1985. During the works of 1969, columns were brought back from the Zied Palace to strengthen the structure of the mosque. [1]
According to popular culture, the name Sidi Elyes comes from the name of a Turkish commander who was buried inside the mosque. But there is no archeological proof of this theory.
The mosque consists of a prayer room, a room for the imam and a minaret at the south-eastern corner. It is surrounded by three patios on the east, north and south sides. [2]
The main entrance is on the east side that opens onto Sidi Abbès Street. It is distinguished by its typical Ottoman style. The door is 3 meters long and 2.5 meters wide. It gives access to the east side patio that runs the full width of the mosque (30 meters). [1]
The minaret represents the oldest part of the mosque. It has a square shape with 3 meters at each side and about 14 meters high. It consists of two parts: the base of 10.5 meters, and a hexagonal part of 2.8 meters surmounted by a dome.
Sfax is a city in Tunisia, located 270 km (170 mi) southeast of Tunis. The city, founded in AD 849 on the ruins of Berber Taparura, is the capital of the Sfax Governorate, and a Mediterranean port. Sfax has a population of 330,440. Its main industries include phosphate, olive and nut processing, fishing and international trade. The city is the second-most populous in the country after the capital, Tunis.
The Medina of Tunis is the medina quarter of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.
The Sfax medina is the medina quarter of the Tunisian city of Sfax. It was built by Aghlabid prince Abu Abbass Muhammad between 849 and 851. The medina is home to about 113,000 residents, and is dominated by the Great Mosque of Sfax.
Bab Jebli is one of the gates of the medina of Sfax, located in the center of the northern facade of its walls between Bab Nahj El Bey and Bab Jebli Jedid. The gate gives access to a popular vegetables market and Sidi Bouchaicha Mosque inside the medina, and to a covered market in its outside.
Sidi Saada mausoleum, also known as zaouiet Sidi Saada, is one of the zaouïas of the medina of Sfax in Tunisia, and headquarters of Aissawa, one of the rites of Sufism.
The Sidi Ali Karray Mausoleum is one of the famous mausoleums of the medina of Sfax.
Sidi Belhassen Karray mausoleum is one of the mausoleums of the medina of Sfax.
Sidi Amar Kammoun mausoleum is one of the most important mausoleums of the medina of Sfax, Tunisia.
Hammam El Soltane, literally "Sultan's bath", is one of the most famous Turkish baths in the medina of Sfax. Currently not functioning, it is at risk of being demolished.
Al Ajouzine Mosque is one of the old mosques of the medina of Sfax, Tunisia.
Sidi El Bahri Mosque, also called masjed Sidi El Bahri, is one of the historical mosques of the medina of Sfax, Tunisia. It is classified as a national monument since 1922.
El Trouk Mosque, or Mosque of the Turks is one of the mosques of the Medina of Sfax, Tunisia.
Bou Chouaicha Mosque is one of the oldest and most important mosques of the medina of Sfax, Tunisia.
Driba Mosque or old Sidi Lakhmi Mosque is one of the mosques of the medina of Sfax, Tunisia.
El Mseddi Mosque, also known as Sidi El Mseddi Mosque, is one of the old mosques of the medina of Sfax, Tunisia.
Borj El Ksar is one of the fortifications of the medina of Sfax.
Borj Ennar is one of the fortifications of the medina of Sfax.
Borj Masouda or Borj Lella Masouda Essamra is one of the main four fortifications of the medina of Sfax.
The architecture of Fez, Morocco, reflects the wider trends of Moroccan architecture dating from the city's foundation in the late 8th century and up to modern times. The old city (medina) of Fes, consisting of Fes el-Bali and Fes el-Jdid, is notable for being an exceptionally well-preserved medieval North African city and is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A large number of historic monuments from different periods still exist in it today, including mosques, madrasas, synagogues, hammams (bathhouses), souqs (markets), funduqs (caravanserais), defensive walls, city gates, historic houses, and palaces.
The Zawiya of Sidi Taoudi Ben Souda is a zawiya and mosque in Fes el-Bali, the old medina of Fes, Morocco. It is named after Muḥammad al-Tāwdī Ibn al-Ṭālib Ibn Sūda al-Murrī, an 18th-century Sufi sheikh who is considered by some to be one of the foremost intellectuals and Muslim scholars of Morocco's history.