Souk El Blaghjia

Souk El Blaghjia

Souk of the craftsmen of the Balgha

It is the souk dedicated to the trade of Balghaji. They are craftsmen shoemakers specializing in the manufacture of the balgha which is a kind of leather babouche very common in Tunisia and the Maghreb. Despite the decline of the Balgha, and its female counterpart the chebrella, since the adoption of the European shoe, the souk did not disappear. Its occupants continue today to manufacture and modernize the balghas and produce different kinds of mules and shoes more modern.

The history of this souk goes back to the beginning of the 13th century when its construction was ordered by Abû Zakariyâ Yahyâ, the first Hafsid sultan of Tunis. It was subsequently rebuilt during the Ottoman period in 1756-1757, under the orders of Mohamed Rachid Bey or Ali II Bey, we are not really sure. What is sure on the other hand is that this souk was one of the most important of the Medina during the Husseinite period, the trade of Balghaji being considered as a noble craft.

The souk is located in the center of the medina, near the Zitouna mosque, between the souk El Attarine and the street of the Kasbah.