Madrasa of El Achouria: An Ottoman-Era Islamic School in Tunis
Site at a Glance
- Country
- Tunisia
- Primary era
- Early Modern
- Eras represented
- Early Modern
- Civilizations
- Ottoman
- Site type
- Religious
- Remains
- Madrasa
On this page4 sections
History
The Madrasa of El Achouria is an Islamic school in Tunis, Tunisia, founded under Ottoman rule by Ali Pasha in 1746 and completed in 1752. It was the oldest madrasa he established. The school was intended for Maliki students from outside Tunis. Although the state’s official school of law was Hanafi, most Tunisians followed Maliki jurisprudence, and the foundation also sought popular support.
Endowment and teaching
An endowment, property or income dedicated to supporting an institution, covered routine and unexpected expenses. It paid a teacher half a riyal, a Tunisian monetary unit, each day, and provided each student with a daily stipend of two nasris, another Tunisian monetary unit. Its library held 357 manuscripts for study. The endowment also supported the circumcision of 100 children each year, giving the madrasa a charitable role alongside its educational work.
A neighborhood Qur’anic school taught boys Quranic recitation and basic Arabic. The madrasa’s imam taught there as well, giving students three daily lessons in Islamic jurisprudence, or religious law, the doctrine of divine unity, or the oneness of God, and grammar. The teaching arrangement included accommodation and pay. Instruction continued until the middle of the nineteenth century.
Later uses and heritage status
The building later served as a dormitory for students of the University of Zaytuna, a major Islamic educational institution in Tunis. In 1930, 48 students lived there. After Zaytuna education was abolished, the madrasa was renovated in the 1970s and subsequently housed the offices of cultural associations. It forms part of the Medina of Tunis World Heritage property and was declared a heritage monument on 19 October 1992.
Remains
Built over the remains of Madrasa Ibn Tafargine, the Madrasa of El Achouria takes its name from the Hawanet Achour neighborhood near Hafsia. It lies between the Zaytuna Mosque and the Guvaşaşin Bath, near Dar Lasram, which houses the Association for the Safeguarding of the Medina of Tunis and the Tahar Haddad Cultural Club.
The building includes a spacious entrance, a prayer hall, an ablution area for ritual washing, and 24 rooms formerly used as student accommodation. Its 15.30-metre minaret makes it the only madrasa in Tunis with a minaret. An associated Qur’anic school opens onto Achour Street.
