Mosque of Mahidya, Mahdiya Tunisia, 916

Entrance of the Mosque of Mahdiya

If it was one thing the Fatimid dynasty was known for, it was its construction of some of the greatest mosques in architectural history. One of these mosques include the mosque of Mahdiya. Located in Mahdiya, Tunisian, it was built during the 10th century. The mosque was built close to the peninsula on land that had to be in-filled and reclaimed from the sea. During the time of construction, Fatimid Caliph al-Mahdi was in ruling. 

Built in 916 by Obayd Allah El-Medhi who led a military campaign for Egypt, the mosque’s materials included stone and marble. However, similar to other mosques and architectural structures throughout history, the mosque of Mahdiya has seen several renovations and expansions. As a result, the only part of the mosque that remains from its original construction is the entrance porch and the northern gallery of the courtyard. 2

Plan of the mosque

The mosque of Mahdiya was built like a fortress. It was built on a rectangular plan measuring only 75 meters by 55 meters. On each side of the mosque can be found two round towers which served to catch water running from the terraces. This as because the mosque did not have minaret. The flanking towers is similar to the plan of the mosque of Ajdabiya, except the towers of the mosque of Mahdiya leads up to the monumental entrance whereas the other one does not. 

Like other mosques in the region, the mosque includes a transverse aisle paralleled qibla wall with nine aisles at right angles to the transverse. Due to sea erosion, the original able wall was destroyed and had to be rebuilt. As a result of rebuilding, the size of the prayer hall had to be reduced. 1

In 1554, the mosque was almost entirely destroyed along with the ramparts on which it was built. In the early eighteenth century it was rebuilt with a new prayer hall, a free standing minaret in the Moorishp-Andalusian style and two courtyards on either side of the main structure. In addition, a narrow courtyard was added in front of the entrance, facing the city. 

Horseshoe arches supported by double columns

In 1961-65, the mosque saw another restoration. During this renovation, the eighteenth century additions were removed and the mosque was rebuilt according to the excavations of the original Fatimid mosque. This meant the prayer hall was adjusted to resemble the original size along with the porticoed courtyard. In addition, in the middle of the courtyard was a walkway that connected the entrance porch to the prayer hall. Inside the prayer hall can be seen the nine naves along with arches resting on double columns. The central nave, enhanced by the presence of columns grouped in fours, meets the bay of the qibla wall to form a T shape that is reminiscent of the layout of the Great Mosque of Kairouan. Carved into the niche are narrow semicircular ribs crowned with shells. The half dome overhanging the niche opens in a horseshoe arch supported by two corner columns. 3

Works Cited

1 Ali, Wijdan. The Arab Contribution to Islamic Art: From the Seventh to the Fifteenth Centuries. Jordan: Royal Society of Fine Arts, 1999. Print.

2 Jairazbhoy, R. A. An Outline of Islamic Architecture. New York: Asia Pub. House, 1972. Print.

3 Lézine, Alexandre. Mahdiya: Recherches D'archéologie Islamique. Paris: Klincksieck, 1965. Print.

The Great Mosque of Kairouan, Tunisia, 640 AD

One of the major architectural significance of the Arab invasion of North Africa was the construction of massive and often magnificent mosques constructed around military style courtyards along the court coast of the Mediterranean. In 670 CE, conquering general Sidi Okba constructed a Friday Mosque in what was becoming Kairouan in modern day Tunisia. A Friday Mosque is used for communal prayers on the Muslim holy day, Friday. Known as the Great Mosque of Kairouan, it is an early example of a hypostyle mosque that also reflects how pre-Islamic and eastern Islamic art and motifs were incorporated into the religious architecture of Islamic North Africa. The mosque contains a large prayer hall, a dome, an arcaded courtyard and three story tower believed to be the oldest in the world. Bordering the courtyard are the horseshoe shaped arches that are one of the characteristics of Islamic architecture, supported by Corinthian columns that trace their stylistic origin back to Ancient Greek temples.

In fact, many of the columns and stones forming the structure of the building were stolen from ancient Roman buildings in and around Kairouan. The interior of the prayer hall, however, is decorated with detailed painted and carved ornamentation of distinctly Islamic origin, including motifs based on designs from naturals world, such as acanthus, vine, and palms.

The dome is an architectural element borrowed from Roman and Byzantine architecture. The small windows of the dome above the mihrab space let natural light in. The stone dome is constructed of twenty-four ribs that each have a small corbel at their base.

The Great Mosque of Kairouan was a public structure, set along roads that served a city with a vibrant commercial, educational, and religious life. As such, it assumed the important function of representing a cosmopolitan and urbane Kairouan, one of the first cities organized under Muslim rule in North Africa. Even today, the Great Mosque of Kairouan reflects the time and place in which it was built.

Sources:
Apelian, Colette. "The Great Mosque Of Kairouan." Khan Academy. Web
Glancey, Jonathan. Architecture. London: DK, 2006. Print