Gezicht op Tunis met op de achergrond de koepels van de Sidi Mahrez moskee c. 1880 - 1900

This photograph captures a view of Tunis with the Sidi Mahrez mosque in the background, created by AM. The composition, dominated by geometric forms and a restricted tonal range, evokes a sense of austere beauty. The arrangement of the buildings into cubic shapes creates a receding plane. The eye is led from the foreground to the soft domes of the mosque in the distance. The limited palette, almost monochromatic, emphasizes the architectural forms and the play of light and shadow. Structurally, the photograph sets up a visual dialogue between the rigid, angular shapes of the buildings and the softer, more organic forms of the mosque’s domes. This contrast destabilizes any fixed notion of urban space, presenting it instead as a dynamic interplay of shapes. Ultimately, the photograph functions as a semiotic system. Each element—the lines, shapes, and tones—contributes to a larger cultural narrative about space, religion, and representation. Its formal qualities invite ongoing interpretation.