Madrasa Slimaniya
Tunis medina, Tunisia
18th century
The madarasa has many functions, combining prayer with education and providing accommodation for students who have come to the capital to pursue their studies. The role of the madrasa in the medina was important not only for spreading knowledge, but also for enabling social mobility by providing education free of charge. The Husainid princes built a great number of madrasas in the city.
Located in the medina on the eponymous street, the Madrasa al-Slimaniya was built by 'Ali Pacha Bey in memory of his son, Sliman. Architecturally, it is can be distinguished by its great elevated porch resting on columns which are topped by Turkish capitals, crowning a green-tiled cornice. The square-shaped oratory is covered in barrel vaults and the walls are decorated with ceramic tiles and panels. The beautiful carved stucco, as well as the elegant dome and the beauty of the mihrab, make the Slimanya oratory one of the most magnificent madrasas in Tunisia.
Saloua Khadhar Zangar "Madrasa Slimaniya" in "Sharing History", Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://sharinghistory.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monuments;AWE;tn;11;en
Prepared by: Saloua Khadhar Zangar
Translation by: Flaminia Baldwin
MWNF Working Number: TN 011
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