Sidi El Haloui Mosque, Religious monument in Tlemcen, Algeria
Sidi El Haloui Mosque is a prayer house in Tlemcen with five rows of prayer spaces supported by pointed horseshoe arches and onyx columns. These columns were taken from an earlier palace and give the interior a distinctive character.
Marinid Sultan Abu Inan ordered construction of this complex in 1353 next to the mausoleum of an Andalusian scholar. The construction was part of building efforts that transformed the city during that period.
The building displays fine sebka patterns on its facades and a hexagonal mihrab with a muqarnas cupola reflecting Islamic building traditions. Visitors notice these crafted details throughout the spaces as they move through the complex.
The complex contains different functional areas with a main prayer hall and a separate area for ritual washing located across the street. A minaret rises visibly above the surrounding area and makes the location easy to spot.
Sixteen pillars and eight pink onyx columns form the interior, with these columns originally coming from the Palace of Victory. This reuse of materials from an important historical structure gives the building a special layering of past places.
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