Mahdia - Great Mosque

The Great Mosque in Mahdia was built in 921 by the founder of the town, Obaid Allah el Mahdi. It was the first Fatimid mosque modeled on the Sidi Oqba Mosque in Kairouan. It was connected on two sides with the town walls, and when these were blown up by the Spaniards the mosque too was destroyed with the exception of the north front. A temporary building was erected to replace it, but when this was found to be in danger of collapse and was pulled down in the 1960s the Great Mosque was carefully rebuilt on its old site in accordance with the original plans.

The mosque is entered through a monumental doorway which was originally used only by the Caliph. Over the doorway is a large horseshoe arch, and on either side are tall niches, shallow on ground level and deeper on the upper level.

The inner courtyard, 42m/138ft by 50m/164ft, is surrounded on three sides by a colonnade with horseshoe arches.

The nine-aisled prayer hall, three bays deep, has the same ground-plan as its prototype in Kairouan. The central aisle leading to the mihrab is wider than the other eight. The bay in front of the mihrab is crowned by a dome.