THE 3 MEDERSAS
Medersa of the Palm-Tree, 11 Rue des Libraires
Medersa bachia, 19 rue des Libraires
Medersa slimania, 13 rue de la medersa Slimania
Each of these shows the typical features of such monuments,
the students' cells opening on three sides of the courtyard
and the fourth occupied by the mosque, used for both teaching
and prayers.
The oldest, the Medersa of the Palm-tree (1714), is the
nearest to the Ez-Zitouna University. Built on the site
of a "foundouk", this medersa takes its name from
a palm-tree stood in the garden which may still be seen
in the middle of the courtyard. Horseshoe arches supported
on stone columns with Turkish capitals form a cloister round
the courtyard.
It is now home to a religious organisation which gives Koranic
instruction.
In 1752 Ali Pasha built the second medersa, called after
hi. The square courtyard, with its rows of three arches
on each side, supported by columns of black marble with
white marble capitals, is somewhat more pretentious than
the earlier one. Access is from the Rue des Libraires. Beside
the entrance is the "sebil", or public fountain
which Ali Pasha incorporated into his pious foundation.
This sebil is in the form of a stone basin. After restoration
this medersa now houses a school for apprentice craftsmen.
A cultural association has its headquarters in the founder's
Tourbet (burial chamber).
In 1754, two years after the foundation of the El-Bachia
medersa, the Slimania medersa was built on the corner of
the booksellers' souk and Souk El Kachachine. The same Ali
Pasha dedicated it to the memory of his son Suleiman, who
was poisoned by his brother. This medersa is noted for a
monumental porch on Turkish columns surmounted by a green-tiled
cornice. The building is raised from the road and looks
therefore more graceful. The entry is tiled with flowered
ceramics and also has stone benches.
The rectangular courtyard is surrounded by a horseshoe arch
gallery on limestone columns with scrolled capitals.
Like the other medersas, the Slimania has a new function
; it is home to the medical associations, among them the
traditional medicine foundation.
