| Mosque of the Three Doors | |
|---|---|
مسجد الأبواب الثلاثة | |
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Sunni Islam |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Mosque |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Kairouan |
| Country | Tunisia |
  Shown within Tunisia | |
 Interactive map of Mosque of the Three Doors | |
| Coordinates | 35°24′13″N10°03′40″E / 35.4037°N 10.0610°E /35.4037; 10.0610 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque |
| Style | |
| Founder | Muhammad ibn Khairun |
| Completed | |
| Minaret | 1 |
TheMosque of the Three Doors (Arabic:مسجد الأبواب الثلاثة;French:Mosquée des Trois Portes) orMosque of Muhammad ibn Khairun (Arabic:مسجد ابن خيرون) is amosque located in the city ofKairouan,Tunisia.
Commissioned in 866CE during theAghlabid era byMuhammad ibn Khairun, a private local patron, the mosque is notable for being one of the earliest occurrences of a richly decorated external façade inIslamic architecture. The mosque was modified in later periods, notably with the addition of aminaret in 1440, during theHafsid period.
The mosque's construction is dated from 252AH (866/867 CE) during theAghlabid period. The foundation inscription on its façade records the name of its founder as Muhammad ibn Khayrun al-Ma'firi al-Andalusi,[1] who was most likely a former slave fromal-Andalus,[2] and possibly a merchant.[3] Only the mosque's front façade remains from the original construction.[1] The minaret was added much later in 844 AH (1440/1441CE), during theHafsid period, when the mosque was restored.[1][4]
The architectural design of the Aghlabids can be characterized from the inheritance of the local architectural tradition and the simultaneous recognition of theAbbasid metropolitan styles and techniques.[5] The mosque is fronted by three doors framed byhorseshoe arches that resemble that of theGreat Mosque of Uqba.[6] The arches rest on reused ancient columnsengaged into the wall.[1] The façade above these arches is carved withfloral motifs and withArabic inscriptions written inKufic script.[3] This decorated façade is unique among the surviving monuments of this period.[2] According to scholar Mourad Rammah, it is the oldest decorative façade in Islamic architecture.[7]
The mosque contains a prayer hall with a slightly irregular but almost square floor plan with four columns dividing it into three naves or aisles, covered by a total of nine vaults.[4] A basicmihrab niche is embedded in theqibla wall. On the northeast corner of the mosque is a square-based minaret, which is a later addition from the Hafsid era, with a design derived fromAndalusi-Moorish architecture that had spread across the region during theAlmohad period. The minaret's double-arched windows are framed with decorativetilework.[3]
The inscriptions on the mosque's façade are contained in three horizontal bands.[8] The two upper bands contain twoQur'anic excerpts,Surah 33:71–72 and a fragment ofSurah 30:4. The translated text reads:[1]
Believers, be mindful of God, speak in a direct fashion and to good purpose, and He will put your deeds right for you and forgive you your sins. Whoever obeys God and His Messenger will truly achieve a great triumph. God is in command, first and last [...]
This is then followed by an inscription recording the mosque's foundation.[1] The translated text reads:[3]
The construction of this mosque was ordered by Muhammad, son of Khayrūn, al-Ma’āfirī, al-Andalusī, in order to draw closer to God and in the hopes of gaining His pardon and mercy.
The inscriptions on the façade were partially rearranged in the 15th century when the Hafsid minaret was added, so as to insert a new inscription along the lower band recording the restoration of 1440. The appearance of the original Aghlabid-period façade and inscriptions was reconstituted byGeorges Marçais.[1]
Media related toThree Doors Mosque at Wikimedia Commons
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