Hammuda Pasha Bey

[2] Son of Murad I Bey and an odalisque named Yasmine, both from Corsica, Hammuda was notable for his strength as much as his generosity and concern for his people.

Usta Murad, a friend of his father, was an old corsair, who European sources claim had captured around 900 ships and more than 20,000 prisoners to be sold as slaves at market in Tunis.

In addition, in his reign the island of Djerba, which belonged to the pasha of Tripoli was definitively annexed by Tunis, although this was in large part the result of Yusuf Dey's diplomatic efforts.

In 1655, he had Ottoman architects build the Hammouda Pacha Mosque in the Turkish style, with an elegant octagonal minaret, below which he constructed his family mausoleum.

[4] Among his other achievements are the construction of a bimaristan (hospital) in the medina of Tunis and the reconstruction, with embellishments, of the mausoleum of Sidi Sahab (mosque of Barbier) at Kairouan.

The revenue of these lands financed several funds supporting the needy at the Aziza Othmana hospital as well as the maintenance of religious buildings in Tunis and in the holy cities of Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem.

Close up on part of the exterior decoration of the mausoleum, with an inscription mentioning the builder (Hammuda Pasha) and the date of construction.