Sidi Saada Mausoleum
Sidi Saada Mausoleum, also known as zaouiet Sidi Saada, is one of the zaouïas of the medina of Sfax in Tunisia, and headquarters of Aissawa, one of the rites of Sufism.
Location
The mausoleum is located to the south of the medina of Sfax and overlooks three streets: it is bounded on the west by Nahj El Bey, on the east by Scipion Street and on the north by El Issawiya Street, where the main entrance of the building is found.History
Due to lack of written documents, the history of this mausoleum remained mysterious for a long time. It is mentioned for the first time in the inventory of monuments made by the students of the Bardo Military School in the middle of the 19th century. According to an epigraphic inscription on the front door, it was built in 1738. Some researchers mention that the prayer room was built even before the rest of the monument, during the Zirids reign. Initially conceived as a simple oratory, it was transformed in 1863 into a mausoleum named after a local Muslim saint, Sidi Saada Kanoun. Since that date, the monument serves as the headquarters of the Sufi brotherhood of Aïssawa.Sidi Saada mausoleum witnessed several extensions and renovation works.