Great Mosque of Testour, Islamic monument in Testour, Tunisia
The Great Mosque of Testour is a listed religious monument in the town of Testour, in northern Tunisia. It has a central courtyard, a prayer hall with nine naves, two domes over the main passage, and a minaret topped by an octagonal tower decorated with glazed ceramic tiles.
Muhammad Tagharinu, an Andalusian refugee, commissioned the mosque after settling in Testour in 1609, and the building was completed in 1631. It was built during a time when thousands of Muslims expelled from the Iberian Peninsula were settling across Tunisian towns.
The mosque reflects the building traditions that Moorish refugees carried with them from Spain after 1609, visible in the horseshoe arches and stone columns of the prayer hall. This mix of Andalusian and local North African craft is something a visitor can see directly in the stonework and decorative details.
The mosque sits in the center of Testour and can be reached on foot from the main square. Visitors should bring modest clothing to cover their arms and legs before entering the prayer area.
The minaret of the mosque carries a clock on one of its faces, which is very unusual for an Islamic minaret and reflects the European background of the Andalusian builders. This clock tower element is a rare sign of how the newcomers from Spain wove familiar features into their new religious architecture.
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