The Great Mosque (al-jami' al-kabir) is the principal Friday mosque of the old city, built in 1652 by the Ottoman governor Hammouda Pasha al-Mouradi. The building sits at the heart of the medina, a few minutes' walk inland from the old port, and is recognisable by its square octagonal minaret with a small balcony halfway up — the standard Ottoman Tunisian style.
Non-Muslims are not normally admitted to the prayer hall, but the courtyard with its white-marble columns can usually be entered respectfully outside prayer times, and the exterior is photographed easily from the surrounding lanes. The most striking detail is the minaret's transition from a square base to an octagonal upper section, with a tiled balcony rail and a fretted top.
The Place de la Grande Mosquée immediately outside is the old commercial heart of Bizerte: small shops, a couple of cafés, and the original Youssef Dey fountain — built around the same time as the mosque to provide drinking water to the marketplace.