Madrasa Al Habibia Al Kubra (arabe : المدرسة الحبيبية الكبرى) is located at 49, Abdel Wahab Street, near the Maâkal Az-Zaïm Square. It was built in 1926 by Muhammad VI al-Habib. It is the biggest madrasa in Tunis, since it can accommodate 98 students and has 30 rooms.[citation needed]
Madrasa Al Habibia Al Sughra (Arabic: المدرسة الحبيبية الصغرى) is was built in 1927 by Muhammad VI al-Habib, from whom its name is derived and is one of the newest schools of the medina of Tunis. In addition to its educational role, the madrasa accommodates the students of the University of Ez-Zitouna.
Madrasa Al Husseiniya Al Kubra (Arabic: المدرسة الحسينية الكبرى) also known as the Tourbet El Bey Madrasa[1] is located in Tourbet El Bey Street, next to Tourbet El Bey Mausoleum
It was built during the reign of Ali II ibn Hussein in 1777 and is one of the medina's biggest madrasas, with more than 40 rooms.[2] The madrasa has two floors and a large hall. Its 43 rooms host students of Al-Zaytuna University. It also has a prayer room that was used for prayer and teaching.
Madrasa Al Husseiniya Al Sughra (Arabic: المدرسة الحسينية الصغرى) or the Small Husainid Madrasa is located at 60 Tourbet El Bey Street, next to the small Mausoleum of the Husainid Dynasty also known as Tourbet El Fellari. It was the first madrasa built in the Medina of Tunis during the Husainid era few years after Al-Husayn I ibn Ali's ascension to the throne. Construction work started in 1708 and finished two years later.
The madrasa once hosted ten Malikite students from interior regions of the country. Each had his own room, but by the 20th century, the number of students reached 21. It had its own Imam and a cheikh to teach the students.
Madrasa Al Khaldounia or simply Khaldounia (Arabic: الخلدونية) was the first modern school founded in Tunisia, on December 22, 1896. All its members and presidents were elected. It was a free, public and laic institution. and for years regularly published a review to facilitate Franco-Tunisian exchanges. Today it is a bilingual library attached to the National Library of Tunisia.
Khaldounia was established by Young Tunisians led by Bechir Sfar, to spread scientific knowledge in Arabic culture. He had the support of René Millet,[3] the French resident-general in Tunisia who ordered the madrasa to exclude political and religious discussions and emphasized the importance of critical thinking.
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Entrance of the Khaldounia association -
Dead end of the madrasa -
Marble plaque at the entrance of the Khaldounia Library -
Decoration at the entrance of Khaldounia
Madrasa Asfouria (Arabic: المدرسة العصفورية) was constructed during the Hafsid era, at the same time as Madrasa Ech Chamaiya, Madrasa El Tawfikia, Madrasa El Mountaciriya and Madrasa El Unqiya and named after the scholar Ibn Asfur El Ichbili from Seville, who taught at there. Other scholars there included Sheikh Salah El Cherif before his departure to Damascus and the poet Muhammad Tahar Battikh.
The madrasa is located at an alley near Souk El Attarine, between Madrasa Al Khaldounia and Madrasa Hamzia, hence creating a complex of madrasahs. It stands only a few meters from the Al-Zaytuna Mosque. It was restored by the Association de sauvegarde de la médina de Tunis in 2000. Nowadays, it hosts the premises of five associations among which the Tunisian Association of Research and Studies on Tunisian Intellectual Heritage.
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Inscription located at the entrance of the madrasa -
Patio of the madrasa
36°48′04″N 10°10′26″E / 36.801226°N 10.173994°E
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Madrasa Andaloussiya (Arabic: المدرسة الأندلسية) also known as the Madrasa El Younsiya, is also called Madrasa of Sidi El Ajmi because it is close to his zaouia.[4]
It is located in Rue Errakah, in the Jewish neighborhood of El Hara near the mausoleum of saint Abi Ahmed Mohamed Younes, also known as Sidi Younes, in the medina. The madrasa was built by Muslims who came to Tunis after being expelled from Spain following the rules of Philip III of Spain in 1609. This community contributed to the development of the kingdom on social, economical and cultural scales, building the Soubhan Allah Mosque in Bab Souika as well.
Nowadays, the madrasa is the office of an association for disabled people.[5]
36°48′13″N 10°10′03″E / 36.803492°N 10.167483°E
Madrasa Ibn Tafargine (Arabic: مدرسة ابن تفرجين) is one of the madrasahs of the Medina of Tunis, located in Haouanet Achour Street, in El Hafsia district.
It was built during the Hafsid era and named for its founder, Ibn Tafargine, who is buried there. It had the basic elements of a madrasa (skifa, ghorfa, sahn, etc.) and a large hall. Its skifa had a straight shape and was at a higher level than the street and the hall.
Madrasa El Yusefiya Coordinates: 36.793000°N 10.175580°E
Madrasa El Yusefiya (Arabic: المدرسة اليوسفية) was first built near the Kasbah. But laterĢ moved into another building at 29 Es Sabbaghine Street in the first floor of madrasa Es Sabbaghine. Because of the accommodation crisis of Al-Zaytuna students in the twenties, the number of the students in this madrasah increased from 21 (which was the normal capacity of the madrasa) to 39 in 1930.
During the Ottoman era in the end of the 16th century and in order to spread the Hanafi docrine, the ottomans started use the Hafsid madrasahs that used to teach the Almohad doctrine and transform them. One of these madrasahs is Youssef Dey madrasa or Madrasa El Yusefiya. The poet Aboul-Qacem Echebbi was one of Madrasa El Yusefiya’s students. Also the students who were killed and injured on the 15th March 1954 were taken to this madrasa.
Madrasa Ennakhla or Madrasa of the Palm (Arabic: المدرسة السليمانية) is a former madrasa and one of the monuments of the Ottoman era in the medina of Tunis. It is named after the palm tree at the center of its patio, which still stands today.
The madrasa is located near the Al-Zaytuna Mosque, at the Souk El Koutbiya, and was built on the site of a caravanserai that formerly sold wine. It is also close to Madrasa Slimania and Madrasa El Bachia. Those three madrasas near the Al-Zaytuna Mosque provided schooling and housing for University of Ez-Zitouna students.
Madrasa Ennakhla is the second madrasa founded by Al-Husayn I ibn Ali and constructed in 1714. It was the first among the three madrasas to be built and the closest to the Al-Zaytuna Mosque. Since its restoration in 1979 by the National institute of Arts and Architecture, it a good condition. Its simple architecture is representative of traditional buildings used for student housing.
The madrasa is composed of a main entrance, a patio, twelve rooms and a prayer hall (masjid). The entrance consists of a wooden double door. The internal frame is made of limestone (kaddal) and the second frame is made of hirsh[weasel words]. The entrance also includes two skifas; the first is rectangular with flat wooden ceiling joists; the access to the second skifa is made by a door in the left wall of the first skifa. The second skifa is smaller in size and is covered by a vault. The patio has high arches on stone columns with Turkish capitals on all four sides of an almost square courtyard. The porticos are covered with El Haouaria stones. Each portico has three arches carved from the same stone. A glazed tile cornice surrounds the upper walls of the patio. Twelve rooms of different dimensions surround the patio on three sides, their doors framed with kaddal. Small windows over the doors are used for ventilation and lighting.
The founder of Madrasa Ennakhla, Al-Husayn I ibn Ali, decorated the prayer hall's walls with richly carved plaster as well as its mihrab. Its facade is the largest on the patio. At its center is the main door of the prayer hall, which is rectangular in shape and covered with arches. The upper part of the walls are decorated with gypsum carving making an eight-pointed star on either sides of a pine tree. The center of the room's back wall has a hollow mihrab, with a covered half dome of carved stucco decoration.
Madrasa Hamzia (Arabic: المدرسة الحمزية) was built in the 20th century by a rich bourgeois in order to host the University of Ez-Zitouna students coming from Mahdia, Tunisia.
The madrasa is located in Souk El Attarine, between the Khaldounia and the madrasa Asfouria. It is very close to the Al-Zaytuna Mosque.
It was built in 1929 by Hassan Ben El Haj Hamza, a wealthy bourgeois from Mahdia, Tunisia and is the only madrasa in the medina of Tunis to host not only students but also teacher. Nowadays, the madrasa is managed by the Tunisian Ministry of Culture.
Madrasa Marjania (Arabic: المدرسة المرجانية) was built between 1293 and 1299 by Abu Mohamed Abdullah Al Morjani. Like the [Abi Mohamed Al Morjani Mosque]], it took its name from him. It served as a mausoleum before becoming a madrasa by order of Muhammad I, one of the Hafsid rulers. Salem Bouhageb, a friend of the Grand Vizier Hayreddin Pasha, was one of the most important teachers of this madrasa and was later replaced by Sheikh Mohamed Taieb Ennaifer.
The madrasa is located in the north of the medina, near Bab el Khadra, one of its gates.
Madrasa Mouradiyya (Arabic: المدرسة المرادية) is located in Souk El Kmach. It was built between 1666 and 1675 during the reign of Murad II Bey of the Muradid dynasty, in order to teach the Malikite doctrine. The main purpose of building this madrasah was to make the muradid families closer to the malikite elite and gain their support. Today, it serves as a training center for crafts workers.
Ihe madrasa has the typical architecture of tunisian madrasas during the beylical era: a rectangular hall surrounded with 4 porticos with Hafsid decoration columns. Apart from student rooms, it has a rectangular prayer room and a room of ablutions.
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Entrance of the madrasa -
Arches and columns of the hall -
A gallery of the first floor -
Arche with inscription -
Commemorative plaque at the entrance of the madrasa
Madrasa Salhia (Arabic: المدرسة الصالحية) is located in 31 Sidi Ben Arous Street between Al-Zaytuna Mosque and the Kasbah. Between 1928 and 1938 many madrasahs were built to house Azzaytuna University students. One of these madrasahs is Madrasa Hamzia, built in 1929, while Madrasa Salhia was built in 1937 by Al Wakil Mohamed Salhi. The masdrasa has a big hall surrounded by rooms, divided into two floors.
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Marble epigraphy at the entrance of Madrasa Salhia -
Hall of 'Madrasa Salhia
Madrasa Slimania (Arabic: المدرسة السليمانية) is one of the monuments of the Ottoman era in the medina of Tunis. It was built in 1754 by Abu l-Hasan Ali I in memory of his son Suleiman (who was poisoned by his brother), near the Al-Zaytuna Mosque and Souk El Kachachine.[6] It was the first one of four madrasahs built by Abu l-Hasan Ali I : Madrasa El Bachia, Madrasa El Achouria and Madrasa Bir Lahjar.
Madrasa Slimania is known for its porch, located at a higher than the street. It offers access to a richly decorated entrance with an Ottoman touch. Columns and capitals hold its beautiful stone arch (kadhel et harch) and green roof tiles cornice.
The courtyard is surrounded by four galleries: one of them gives access to a prayer room and the three others to 18 rooms that formerly hosted students. The prayer room is divided into three naves of three bays[6] and has a colourful marble mihrab. It has an octagonal dome covered with green tiles. The walls of this room are covered by locally made faience panels deploying the Basmala and the 99 Names of Allah.[6]
Madrasa Slimania was restored in 1982 by the National Heritage Institute and the Association de sauvegarde de la médina de Tunis. Nowadays, it is the head office of many medical associations.[7]
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Faience panels on vestibule walls -
Courtyard
Madrasa Saheb Ettabaâ (Arabic: مدرسة صاحب الطابع) is located in Sidi El Aloui Street, near Saheb Ettabaâ Mosque in El Halfaouine square. It is divided into two parts: Madrasa Saheb Ettabaâ Al Kubra (big madrasa) and Madrasa Saheb Ettabaâ Al Sughra (small madrasa) and was built along with the Saheb Ettabaâ Mosque during the Husainid era on the orders of Youssef Saheb Ettabaâ. In 1930, it accomodated 71 students. After the independance, a part of the madrasa became the office of a Neo Destour club. Sidi Brahim Riahi was one the most popular professors to teach in this madrasa, like Mohamed Laroussi Metoui. The last director of the madrasa was Omar Chachia.
References
edit- ^ Mohamed Béji Ben Mami, Madāris madīnat Tūnis min al-‘ahd al-hafsī ila al-‘ahd al-husainī, Tunis, Institut national du patrimoine, 2006
- ^ Ahmed Saadaoui, Tunis, ville ottomane : trois siècles d'urbanisme et d'architecture, Tunis, Centre de publication universitaire, 2001, 538 p. (ISBN 978-9973-37-023-5)
- ^ Noureddine Sraïeb (1994). "Le collège Sadiki de Tunis et les nouvelles élites". Revue du monde musulman et de la Méditerranée (in French). 72 (72): 47. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
{{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=and|day=(help) - ^ Abdelhakim Gafsi, Monuments andalous de Tunisie, Tunis, Agence nationale du patrimoine, 1993, 63 p. (ISBN 9973-917-14-6), p. 32
- ^ http://www.aaghd.org.tn/
- ^ a b c "Madrasa Slimaniyya". qantara-med.org (in French). Retrieved 21 February 2016.
- ^ "Les 3 médersas". commune-tunis.gov.tn (in French). Retrieved 21 February 2016.