Object description

Gurgi Mosque is a mosque in Tripoli, Libya. It lies in the heart of old Tripoli (the medina) as part of a complex of historic buildings. The mosque is an important tourist attraction, as is the area as a whole; nearby is the Roman Arch of Marcus Aurelius. The mosque was commissioned by Mustafa Gurgi and built in 1834. Tripoli then was under Ottoman ruler Pasha Yusuf Karamanli, whose reign extended from 1795 to 1832. The Gurgi Mosque was built by the command of the naval captain Mustafa Gurgi. Gurgi is an Arabic word which means "from Georgia". To the right of the entrance lies the antechamber which houses the tombs of Gurgi and his family.