Located in the heart of Tunis' medina, this important mosque was founded in 734 and built on a site once occupied by a church. It was totally rebuilt in the 9th century and restored many times over the centuries, and its huge prayer hall incorporates more than 200 columns scrounged from Roman Carthage. Its Almohades-style minaret in the northwest corner is a medina landmark. Only Muslims may enter the mosque, though the courtyard can be viewed from the terrace of the Panorama Medina Cafe.
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Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Medina
0.14 MILES
This sprawling maze of ancient streets and alleyways is one of the most impressive medieval medinas in North Africa and one of Tunisia's great treasures…
Bardo Museum
2.16 MILES
The main draw at the Tunisia's top museum is its magnificent collection of Roman mosaics. These provide a vibrant and fascinating portrait of ancient…
Uthina
12.96 MILES
On the cultivated amber slopes of Mt Mekrima, the fascinating but little-visited ruins of ancient Uthina are the remains of one of the Roman Empire's…
Souq des Chechias
0.06 MILES
A medina highlight, this hugely atmospheric souq is filled with exquisitely decorated shops producing and selling chechias, Tunisia's traditional blood…
Marché Centrale
0.33 MILES
Tunisian food markets offer a great introduction to local culture, and Tunis' Marché Centrale is particularly atmospheric. The original market building…
Port Aux Prince
28.21 MILES
This appealing golden curve of beach is anchored by a rock-hewn castle-like villa, said to have belonged to Wassila Bourguiba, the wife of the former…
Antonine Baths
9.85 MILES
The Romans chose a sublime seaside setting for this monumental terme (bath complex), a short walk downhill from the Roman villas. Begun under Hadrian and…
Dar Lasram
0.38 MILES
Once home to the Lasram family, who provided the beys with scribes, this magnificent building dates from the early 19th century and was one of the first…
Nearby Tunis attractions
1. Souq El Attarine
0.03 MILES
Souq El Attarine (the Perfume Makers’ Souq) dates from the 13th century and is still home to shops selling fragrant oils and waters. Its location on one…
2. Madrasa Palmier
0.03 MILES
Named after the palm tree in the courtyard, this Ottoman Quranic school was constructed in 1714 on the site of a funduq (caravanserai or travellers’ inn)…
3. Souq des Étoffes
0.03 MILES
Running behind the Zitouna Mosque, the Souq des Étoffes (Fabric Souq) is the geographical heart of the medina's main mercantile enclave, leading to the…
4. Madrasa El Bachia
0.04 MILES
This former madrassa (school for study of the Quran) near the Hammam El Kachachine was built in 1752 and has a small, non-functioning public fountain…
5. Madrasa Slimania
0.05 MILES
Ali Pasha, ruler of Tunisia from 1735 to 1756, commissioned this religious building as a memorial to his murdered son Suleiman. Entered from the street…
6. Zaouia of Sidi Ben Arous
0.06 MILES
This 16th-century mausoleum was built on the site of a funduq (caravanserai or travellers' inn), in which the 13th-century mystic and professor once lived…
7. Souq des Chechias
0.06 MILES
A medina highlight, this hugely atmospheric souq is filled with exquisitely decorated shops producing and selling chechias, Tunisia's traditional blood…
8. Souq El Trouk
0.07 MILES
Souq El Attarine leads into the Souq El Trouk (the Turkish Souq), traditionally the tailors’ souq, and still selling some outfits among the souvenirs. It…