Great Mosque of Sfax

The Great Mosque of Sfax is the principal mosque of the medina and one of the most historically significant buildings in Tunisia. Founded in the 9th century by the Aghlabid rulers of Ifriqiya, it has been expanded and modified over the centuries but retains its original minaret, which is among the earliest surviving examples of Islamic religious architecture in the Maghreb.

Non-Muslims are generally not permitted inside, but the exterior — particularly the minaret and the carved marble portal — can be admired from the surrounding lanes. The mosque sits at the heart of the medina, and the lanes converging on it are among the most animated in the old city.

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A story
The minaret of the Great Mosque was built in the 9th century under the Aghlabid dynasty and is one of the oldest surviving Islamic minarets in North Africa. Its square form, with bands of carved stone decoration, follows the same model as the Great Mosque of Kairouan and established an architectural tradition that spread across the Maghreb and into Andalusia.