Zaouia of Sidi Kacem El Jellizi, Religious sanctuary and ceramics museum in Medina, Tunisia
The Zaouia of Sidi Kacem El Jellizi is a sanctuary in the Tunis medina with a pyramidal dome clad in green tiles, stone arches, and white marble columns. The interior courtyard is surrounded by porticos, and the complex includes a prayer room for visitors.
The sanctuary was built in 1495 and underwent two significant expansions over time, including the addition of a courtyard in the 1600s. A prayer room was added during a subsequent period of rebuilding.
The site honors an Andalusian craftsman known for his mastery of zellige tile work and his role as a host to merchants passing through the medina. Visitors today can sense this tradition of craftsmanship woven into the building itself.
The site can be visited daily and features ceramic collections displayed throughout its rooms. The covered spaces provide shade and a cool respite from the medina's sun.
The collection includes rare Ottoman ceramics in shades of blue, Islamic funerary steles, and pottery from an earlier ceramic tradition of the region. These pieces show how different craft techniques overlapped across centuries.
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