Jami' Ahmad Basha al-QaramanliTripoli, Libya
The mosque and associated complex of Ahmad Pasha al-Qaramanli is one of the most richly decorated in Tripoli. It was commissioned in 1736 by Ahmad Pasha who had established the beginning of the Qaramanli dynasty in 1711. In addition to the mosque, the large square complex holds a madrasa, cemeteries, and the tombs of the Qaramanli family.
The main sanctuary measures 20 meters square, with five riwaqs parallel to the qibla wall. This makes 25 square bays, each covered by a dome supported by marble columns. The arches and the domes on top of them are decorated in geometric stucco-work, while the walls are covered in colored floral tile. Above the mihrab the squinch-supported dome rises higher than the others. Outside the sanctuary on the southwest and northwest walls is a colonnade with a painted wooden roof.
The cemetery in the southeast corner of the complex has a domed room with the tombs of Ahmed Pasha and his family. This opens onto another domed room with stained glass windows. In the courtyard of the cemetery is an octagonal minaret, with its one balcony and conical top, built in 1737. There is a small two-story school in the north corner of the complex.
Sources:
Islamic art and architecture in Libya, 72. London: Libyan General Committee for Participation in the World of Islam Festival, 1976.
"The old city of Tripoli." In Some Islamic sites in Libya: Tripoli, Ajdabiyah and Ujlah, 2-18. London: AARP, 1976.
Ward, Philip. Tripoli: portrait of a city, 75. Cambridge, England: The Oleander Press, 1969.
The mosque and associated complex of Ahmad Pasha al-Qaramanli is one of the most richly decorated in Tripoli. It was commissioned in 1736 by Ahmad Pasha who had established the beginning of the Qaramanli dynasty in 1711. In addition to the mosque, the large square complex holds a madrasa, cemeteries, and the tombs of the Qaramanli family.
The main sanctuary measures 20 meters square, with five riwaqs parallel to the qibla wall. This makes 25 square bays, each covered by a dome supported by marble columns. The arches and the domes on top of them are decorated in geometric stucco-work, while the walls are covered in colored floral tile. Above the mihrab the squinch-supported dome rises higher than the others. Outside the sanctuary on the southwest and northwest walls is a colonnade with a painted wooden roof.
The cemetery in the southeast corner of the complex has a domed room with the tombs of Ahmed Pasha and his family. This opens onto another domed room with stained glass windows. In the courtyard of the cemetery is an octagonal minaret, with its one balcony and conical top, built in 1737. There is a small two-story school in the north corner of the complex.
Sources:
Islamic art and architecture in Libya, 72. London: Libyan General Committee for Participation in the World of Islam Festival, 1976.
"The old city of Tripoli." In Some Islamic sites in Libya: Tripoli, Ajdabiyah and Ujlah, 2-18. London: AARP, 1976.
Ward, Philip. Tripoli: portrait of a city, 75. Cambridge, England: The Oleander Press, 1969.