Description of the attraction
The Great Mosque or Olive Mosque is the largest and oldest mosque (built in 732) in the capital and the second in Tunisia after Kairouan. There is an ancient legend that says that a wonderful olive tree once grew on the site where the mosque now stands, and even earlier there was a Roman forum. The mosque was rebuilt and expanded several times.
For ritual ablutions in this mosque, only rainwater is used, which is collected in special cisterns. A very beautiful dome of the mosque attracts attention. The spacious and dark prayer hall of the mosque is decorated with Venetian glass chandeliers. The arches of the hall rest on magnificent antique columns with carved capitals.
The mosque is surrounded by numerous madrasahs. Here in the XIV century. the famous Tunisian educator Ibn Kaldun, who is called the "father of sociology", worked.
