Palais Kobbet el-Nhas
La Manouba, Tunis, Tunisia
Particulier
18th–19th centuries
To the West of Bardo the fresh air and cultivated fields of the Manouba plain attracted royalty and nobility who were moving to their springtime residences. The presence of a revered saint, Lalla Manoubiya, added to the attraction of the area. The Palais Kobbet el-Nhas, built by Mohamed Errachid Bey (Muhammad al-Rashid Bey) c. 1756 and reorganised by Hammouda Pacha Bey in the late 19th century, is located amongst these residences. The palace itself is named after him, a reference to his brass domed pavilion which had originally been built for the beylical harem. The neighbouring Palais de la Rose, which seems to have been connected to it originally, is equally vast and luxurious.
This palace is located at the end of a great courtyard, lined with trees and featuring a large elevated façade and gallery, sitting above an annex, accessed via a grand staircase. The full beauty of this palace is evident even from the patio, which leads to a double driba (vestibule), with a vaulted ceiling embellished with Andalusian motifs carved in stucco, and paved with marble and decorated with earthenware tiles, which leads to a great hall. The wall decorations are made from luxurious earthenware and refined marble, and the floor is decorated as a black and white checkerboard. The domed ceilings, like the vaulted ceilings, are decorated with carved stucco with geometric and arabesque patterns. Other rooms are attached to every corner of this great hall, which, like the second reception hall in the right wing of the palace, has a wooden ceiling painted gold in an Italian style.
Saloua Khadhar Zangar "Palais Kobbet el-Nhas" in "Sharing History", Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://sharinghistory.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monuments;AWE;tn;3;en
Prepared by: Saloua Khadhar Zangar
Translation by: Flaminia Baldwin
MWNF Working Number: TN 003