Erected in 886 by Muhammad ibn Khayrun al-Mafiri of Andalusia, the Jami Tleta Biban is in many ways unique among the mosques of Kairouan and among North African mosques in general. It is the only mosque in Kairouan without a courtyard; three doors lead directly from the street into the prayer hall. The interior of the mosque houses a number of pre-Islamic columns and capitals.
As its popular name suggests, the most prominent element of the mosque is its main façade, with three doors set within three slightly pointed horseshoe arches. The middle arch is slightly wider and taller, flanked by two equally sized pointed arches. Four ornately carved bands articulate the top of the elevation. The bottom-most band is the thinnest of the four and is carved with Quranic verses. The second and forth bands are inscribed with long Kufic text; one inscription reads, "This mosque was commissioned by Muhammad ibn Khayrun al-Mafiri of Andalusia seeking closeness to God". The third band is carved with alternating floral patterns and floral disks, limited by the size of the individual stones. The entry façade is capped by a cornice supported on richly carved brackets.
Along with multiple renovations of the interior in the fifteenth century, the addition of a minaret and inscription on its base in 1440 entailed the truncation of the northern ends of the original decorative bands.
Sources:
Al-Kaa'by, Monagy. 1990. Al-Kairouan. Beirut: Dar Al-Gharb Al-Islamy, 84-85.
Maison tunisienne de l'edition. 1973. Mosquées de Tunisie. Tunis: Maison tunisienne de l'edition, 80-81.
Michell, George. 1978. The Architecture of the Islamic World. London: Thames and Hudson, 220.
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