Mausoleum Sidi Abid el Ghariani — Attraction in Maghreb

🔸Mausoleum of Sidi Abid al Ghariani (Kairouan)

Situated to the North- east of Bab al-Jalladin, the Zawiya of Sidi Abid was built in the VIIth century H or XIVth century AD. Its founder, Sayh Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad b. 'Abd Allah b. Abd al-Aziz al Sba'i, known as Aljedidi, died in 1386. He left one of his disciples as successor, Abu Samir Abid who came from Djebel Gharian and who carried on the task of teaching until his death in 1402. He was buried in this Zawiya which bears his name.

The monument is comprised of three buildings.

-The mausoleum containing Sidi Abid's tomb. It is the most important and the most beautiful part of the monument. Its walls are covered with ceramic tiles and pannels of sculptured stucco. The beautiful painted wooden ceiling is formed by rows of superposed corbels.

-The oratory and the courtyard: A vestibule leads to the courtyard, paved with marble decorated with geometric interlacing. The courtyard is surrounded by a double storeyed gallery. On the South-east side lies the prayer hall with three transverse ailes.

The Medersa, with the ablutions room (midha) and the students rooms form the third part of the Zawiya.

Several pieces of XIth century decor, the ringed pillars, the capitals and the kufic inscriptions no doubt originally came from the Fatimid site of Sabra al-Mansouriyya and were used in the construction of this building. The Zawiya also contains several tombs, notably that of the Hafsid ruler Moulay Hassan.

Publication: Kairouan Text:...

Some brief information about this site. The construction of this zaouïa (before turning to a shrine / mausoleum) commenced during the latter half of the 14th century. The project was initiated by Al-Jadidi, a prominent Kairouan jurisconsult. He passed away while on his pilgrimage to Mecca around 1384. His dedicated disciple, Abou Samir Abid el Ghariani, ensured the zaouïa's completion and subsequently taught within the mausoleum for twenty years until his own death in 1402.

The shrine for El Ghariani is found inside this zaouïa. Also some suggested that another tomb for one of the prominent Hafsiais figures is buried there as well.

It's known that El Ghariani is originally from Nefusa mountain in...

It’s easy to get to in the maze of the Medina. It was built in the 8th century Muslim calendar by the Kairouani jurisconsult Abu Abdullah Muhammad al-Jadidi. who died while on pilgrimage in 785 AH / 1384 CE. His work was continued by his disciple Abu Samir Ubayd al-Gharyani from Jabal Gharyan in Libya. It’s small but exquisite architecture redeveloped...