Sidi Belahcen Mosque
The Sidi Belahcen Mosque, also known as Sidi Bel Hasan Mosque or Sidi Abu al-Hasan Mosque is a former mosque in the city of Tlemcen, Algeria. The former mosque is located in the southwest of the square, next to the Great Mosque of Tlemcen.
The building has been repurposed as the National Public Museum of Islamic Calligraphy in Tlemcen, an Islamic art museum.
History
The mosque was founded in 1296 by the Zayyanid ruler Abi Ibrahim ibn Yahya, as inscribed on the plank of the western wall in the prayer hall and on the two groves made of plaster on top of the mihrab. The mosque's name is considered derived from the name of the local qadi and ulama Abi al-Hassan who served under the rule of Abu Said Uthman I.Today, the National Public Museum of Islamic Calligraphy occupies the oratory of the former mosque, the adjoining room, the former courtyard, and a room on the second floor. The museum contains artefacts of Almoravid and Zayyanid art, relics found during excavations at Siga, Honaïne and the Agadir mosque, as well as Almohad and Roman coins.