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  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, prays at dawn at the  Great Mosque of Sidi-Uqba in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, prays at dawn at the  Great Mosque of Sidi-Uqba in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1098.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, prays at dawn at the  Great Mosque of Sidi-Uqba in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, prays at dawn at the  Great Mosque of Sidi-Uqba in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1098.jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 28 JULY 2018: Izzedin Elzir, Imam of the Mosque of Florence, poses for a portrait in the prayer hall of the Mosque in Florence, Italy, on July 28th 2018. The Mosque of Florence is hoted in a former parking lot of Borgo Allegri.<br />
<br />
"Islamic Art and Florence from the Medici to the 20th century”, curated by Giovanni Curatola and organised by the Uffizi  offers visitors the opportunity to discover the knowledge, exchange, dialogue and mutual influence that existed between the arts of East and West. The exhibition illustrates the extremely important role that Florence played in interfaith and intercultural exchange between the 15th and the early 20th centuries.<br />
<br />
According to Eike Schmidt, the Director of the Gallerie degli Uffizi, "the exhibition not only highlights the interest in Islamic culture that was strongly rooted in Medici collectintg and that continued well into the modern era, but it also testifies to the unprejudiced aesthetic fascination with the Orient that has always permeated European art. At the same time, it draws our attention to the crucial importance of trade, but primarily of intellectual and human exchange, in the Mediterranean basin and beyond as a means of enrichment and of peace".
    CIPG_20180728_NYT_IslamUffizi_M3_128...jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 28 JULY 2018: Izzedin Elzir, Imam of the Mosque of Florence, poses for a portrait in the prayer hall of the Mosque in Florence, Italy, on July 28th 2018. The Mosque of Florence is hoted in a former parking lot of Borgo Allegri.<br />
<br />
"Islamic Art and Florence from the Medici to the 20th century”, curated by Giovanni Curatola and organised by the Uffizi  offers visitors the opportunity to discover the knowledge, exchange, dialogue and mutual influence that existed between the arts of East and West. The exhibition illustrates the extremely important role that Florence played in interfaith and intercultural exchange between the 15th and the early 20th centuries.<br />
<br />
According to Eike Schmidt, the Director of the Gallerie degli Uffizi, "the exhibition not only highlights the interest in Islamic culture that was strongly rooted in Medici collectintg and that continued well into the modern era, but it also testifies to the unprejudiced aesthetic fascination with the Orient that has always permeated European art. At the same time, it draws our attention to the crucial importance of trade, but primarily of intellectual and human exchange, in the Mediterranean basin and beyond as a means of enrichment and of peace".
    CIPG_20180728_NYT_IslamUffizi_M3_126...jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 28 JULY 2018: Izzedin Elzir, Imam of the Mosque of Florence, poses for a portrait in the prayer hall of the Mosque in Florence, Italy, on July 28th 2018. The Mosque of Florence is hoted in a former parking lot of Borgo Allegri.<br />
<br />
"Islamic Art and Florence from the Medici to the 20th century”, curated by Giovanni Curatola and organised by the Uffizi  offers visitors the opportunity to discover the knowledge, exchange, dialogue and mutual influence that existed between the arts of East and West. The exhibition illustrates the extremely important role that Florence played in interfaith and intercultural exchange between the 15th and the early 20th centuries.<br />
<br />
According to Eike Schmidt, the Director of the Gallerie degli Uffizi, "the exhibition not only highlights the interest in Islamic culture that was strongly rooted in Medici collectintg and that continued well into the modern era, but it also testifies to the unprejudiced aesthetic fascination with the Orient that has always permeated European art. At the same time, it draws our attention to the crucial importance of trade, but primarily of intellectual and human exchange, in the Mediterranean basin and beyond as a means of enrichment and of peace".
    CIPG_20180728_NYT_IslamUffizi_M3_130...jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 28 JULY 2018: Izzedin Elzir, Imam of the Mosque of Florence, poses for a portrait in the prayer hall of the Mosque in Florence, Italy, on July 28th 2018. The Mosque of Florence is hoted in a former parking lot of Borgo Allegri.<br />
<br />
"Islamic Art and Florence from the Medici to the 20th century”, curated by Giovanni Curatola and organised by the Uffizi  offers visitors the opportunity to discover the knowledge, exchange, dialogue and mutual influence that existed between the arts of East and West. The exhibition illustrates the extremely important role that Florence played in interfaith and intercultural exchange between the 15th and the early 20th centuries.<br />
<br />
According to Eike Schmidt, the Director of the Gallerie degli Uffizi, "the exhibition not only highlights the interest in Islamic culture that was strongly rooted in Medici collectintg and that continued well into the modern era, but it also testifies to the unprejudiced aesthetic fascination with the Orient that has always permeated European art. At the same time, it draws our attention to the crucial importance of trade, but primarily of intellectual and human exchange, in the Mediterranean basin and beyond as a means of enrichment and of peace".
    CIPG_20180728_NYT_IslamUffizi_M3_128...jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 28 JULY 2018: Izzedin Elzir, Imam of the Mosque of Florence, poses for a portrait in the prayer hall of the Mosque in Florence, Italy, on July 28th 2018. The Mosque of Florence is hoted in a former parking lot of Borgo Allegri.<br />
<br />
"Islamic Art and Florence from the Medici to the 20th century”, curated by Giovanni Curatola and organised by the Uffizi  offers visitors the opportunity to discover the knowledge, exchange, dialogue and mutual influence that existed between the arts of East and West. The exhibition illustrates the extremely important role that Florence played in interfaith and intercultural exchange between the 15th and the early 20th centuries.<br />
<br />
According to Eike Schmidt, the Director of the Gallerie degli Uffizi, "the exhibition not only highlights the interest in Islamic culture that was strongly rooted in Medici collectintg and that continued well into the modern era, but it also testifies to the unprejudiced aesthetic fascination with the Orient that has always permeated European art. At the same time, it draws our attention to the crucial importance of trade, but primarily of intellectual and human exchange, in the Mediterranean basin and beyond as a means of enrichment and of peace".
    CIPG_20180728_NYT_IslamUffizi_M3_126...jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 28 JULY 2018: Izzedin Elzir, Imam of the Mosque of Florence, poses for a portrait on the minbar (pulpit) of the Mosque in Florence, Italy, on July 28th 2018. The Mosque of Florence is hoted in a former parking lot of Borgo Allegri.<br />
<br />
"Islamic Art and Florence from the Medici to the 20th century”, curated by Giovanni Curatola and organised by the Uffizi  offers visitors the opportunity to discover the knowledge, exchange, dialogue and mutual influence that existed between the arts of East and West. The exhibition illustrates the extremely important role that Florence played in interfaith and intercultural exchange between the 15th and the early 20th centuries.<br />
<br />
According to Eike Schmidt, the Director of the Gallerie degli Uffizi, "the exhibition not only highlights the interest in Islamic culture that was strongly rooted in Medici collectintg and that continued well into the modern era, but it also testifies to the unprejudiced aesthetic fascination with the Orient that has always permeated European art. At the same time, it draws our attention to the crucial importance of trade, but primarily of intellectual and human exchange, in the Mediterranean basin and beyond as a means of enrichment and of peace".
    CIPG_20180728_NYT_IslamUffizi_M3_124...jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 28 JULY 2018: Izzedin Elzir, Imam of the Mosque of Florence, poses for a portrait in the prayer hall of the Mosque in Florence, Italy, on July 28th 2018. The Mosque of Florence is hoted in a former parking lot of Borgo Allegri.<br />
<br />
"Islamic Art and Florence from the Medici to the 20th century”, curated by Giovanni Curatola and organised by the Uffizi  offers visitors the opportunity to discover the knowledge, exchange, dialogue and mutual influence that existed between the arts of East and West. The exhibition illustrates the extremely important role that Florence played in interfaith and intercultural exchange between the 15th and the early 20th centuries.<br />
<br />
According to Eike Schmidt, the Director of the Gallerie degli Uffizi, "the exhibition not only highlights the interest in Islamic culture that was strongly rooted in Medici collectintg and that continued well into the modern era, but it also testifies to the unprejudiced aesthetic fascination with the Orient that has always permeated European art. At the same time, it draws our attention to the crucial importance of trade, but primarily of intellectual and human exchange, in the Mediterranean basin and beyond as a means of enrichment and of peace".
    CIPG_20180728_NYT_IslamUffizi_M3_135...jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 28 JULY 2018: Izzedin Elzir, Imam of the Mosque of Florence, poses for a portrait in the prayer hall of the Mosque in Florence, Italy, on July 28th 2018. The Mosque of Florence is hoted in a former parking lot of Borgo Allegri.<br />
<br />
"Islamic Art and Florence from the Medici to the 20th century”, curated by Giovanni Curatola and organised by the Uffizi  offers visitors the opportunity to discover the knowledge, exchange, dialogue and mutual influence that existed between the arts of East and West. The exhibition illustrates the extremely important role that Florence played in interfaith and intercultural exchange between the 15th and the early 20th centuries.<br />
<br />
According to Eike Schmidt, the Director of the Gallerie degli Uffizi, "the exhibition not only highlights the interest in Islamic culture that was strongly rooted in Medici collectintg and that continued well into the modern era, but it also testifies to the unprejudiced aesthetic fascination with the Orient that has always permeated European art. At the same time, it draws our attention to the crucial importance of trade, but primarily of intellectual and human exchange, in the Mediterranean basin and beyond as a means of enrichment and of peace".
    CIPG_20180728_NYT_IslamUffizi_M3_131...jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 17 December, 2011: The Great Mosque of Kairouan (Great Mosque of Sidi-Uqba) photographed at night in  Kairouan, Tunisia on 17 December, 2011. It is considered as one of the most important monuments of Islamic civilization as well as a worldwide architectural masterpiece. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani, 57, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111217_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1076.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 17 December, 2011: The Great Mosque of Kairouan (Great Mosque of Sidi-Uqba) photographed at night in  Kairouan, Tunisia on 17 December, 2011. It is considered as one of the most important monuments of Islamic civilization as well as a worldwide architectural masterpiece. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani, 57, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111217_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1076.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 17 December, 2011: Said Ferjani (center), 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, discusses with his lifetime friend of the Negra mosque in Kairouan, Tunisia on 17 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111217_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1041.jpg
  • Tunis, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, walks out of the Negra mosque where he started his activism when he was 16 years old, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Time
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1250.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: A man walks by the wall of the Medina quarter in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani, 54, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1142.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: A man walks after the dawn prayer at the  Great Mosque of Sidi-Uqba in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1110.jpg
  • Tunis, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, walks out of the Negra mosque where he started his activism when he was 16 years old, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Time
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1250.jpg
  • Tunis, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, walks in the Negra mosque (under renovation) where he started his activism when he was 16 years old, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1228.jpg
  • Tunis, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, walks in the Negra mosque (under renovation) where he started his activism when he was 16 years old, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1214.jpg
  • Tunis, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, walks in the Negra mosque (under renovation) where he started his activism when he was 16 years old, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1206.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: A man walks by the wall of the Medina quarter in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani, 54, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1142.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Abdulhamid Alwini, 57, Said Ferjani's lifetime friend since elementary school, enters the Great Mosque of Sidi-Uqba for dawn prayer in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani, 54, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1116.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: a Man enters the  Great Mosque of Sidi-Uqba for the dawn prayer in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1109.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 17 December, 2011: The side entrance of the Negra Mosque, where Said Ferjani, 57, started his activism when he was 16 years old, is photographed in Kairouan, Tunisia, on 17 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani, 54, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111217_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1079.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 17 December, 2011: Said Ferjani (center), 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, discusses with his lifetime friend of the Negra mosque in Kairouan, Tunisia on 17 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111217_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1041.jpg
  • Tunis, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, walks in the Negra mosque (under renovation) where he started his activism when he was 16 years old, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1228.jpg
  • Tunis, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, walks in the Negra mosque (under renovation) where he started his activism when he was 16 years old, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1218.jpg
  • Tunis, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, walks in the Negra mosque (under renovation) where he started his activism when he was 16 years old, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1206.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Abdulhamid Alwini, 57, Said Ferjani's lifetime friend since elementary school, enters the Great Mosque of Sidi-Uqba for dawn prayer in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani, 54, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1116.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: a Man enters the  Great Mosque of Sidi-Uqba for the dawn prayer in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1109.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 17 December, 2011: The side entrance of the Negra Mosque, where Said Ferjani, 57, started his activism when he was 16 years old, is photographed in Kairouan, Tunisia, on 17 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani, 54, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111217_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1079.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 17 December, 2011: Said Ferjani (left), 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, discusses with his lifetime friend of the Negra mosque in Kairouan, Tunisia on 17 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111217_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1075.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 17 December, 2011: Said Ferjani (left), 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, discusses with his lifetime friend of the Negra mosque in Kairouan, Tunisia on 17 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111217_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1053.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 17 December, 2011: Said Ferjani (right), 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, discusses with his lifetime friend of the Negra mosque in Kairouan, Tunisia on 17 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111217_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1027.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 17 December, 2011: Said Ferjani (second from right), 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, meets his lifetime friends of the Negra mosque in Kairouan, Tunisia on 17 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111217_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1015.jpg
  • Tunis, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, walks in the Negra mosque (under renovation) where he started his activism when he was 16 years old, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1233.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: A man walks after the dawn prayer at the  Great Mosque of Sidi-Uqba in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1110.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, prays at dawn at the  Great Mosque of Sidi-Uqba in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1100.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 17 December, 2011: Said Ferjani (left), 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, discusses with his lifetime friend of the Negra mosque in Kairouan, Tunisia on 17 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111217_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1075.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 17 December, 2011: Said Ferjani (left), 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, discusses with his lifetime friend of the Negra mosque in Kairouan, Tunisia on 17 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111217_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1053.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 17 December, 2011: Said Ferjani (right), 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, discusses with his lifetime friend of the Negra mosque in Kairouan, Tunisia on 17 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111217_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1027.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 17 December, 2011: Said Ferjani (second from right), 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, meets his lifetime friends of the Negra mosque in Kairouan, Tunisia on 17 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111217_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1015.jpg
  • Tunis, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, walks in the Negra mosque (under renovation) where he started his activism when he was 16 years old, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1233.jpg
  • Tunis, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, walks in the Negra mosque (under renovation) where he started his activism when he was 16 years old, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1214.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, prays at dawn at the  Great Mosque of Sidi-Uqba in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1100.jpg
  • Tunis, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, walks in the Negra mosque (under renovation) where he started his activism when he was 16 years old, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1218.jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 28 JULY 2018: A volunteer is seen here cleaning up the prayer hall of the Mosque of Florence, hosted in a former parking lot, here in Borgo Allegri in Florence, Italy, on July 28th 2018.<br />
<br />
"Islamic Art and Florence from the Medici to the 20th century”, curated by Giovanni Curatola and organised by the Uffizi  offers visitors the opportunity to discover the knowledge, exchange, dialogue and mutual influence that existed between the arts of East and West. The exhibition illustrates the extremely important role that Florence played in interfaith and intercultural exchange between the 15th and the early 20th centuries.<br />
<br />
According to Eike Schmidt, the Director of the Gallerie degli Uffizi, "the exhibition not only highlights the interest in Islamic culture that was strongly rooted in Medici collectintg and that continued well into the modern era, but it also testifies to the unprejudiced aesthetic fascination with the Orient that has always permeated European art. At the same time, it draws our attention to the crucial importance of trade, but primarily of intellectual and human exchange, in the Mediterranean basin and beyond as a means of enrichment and of peace".
    CIPG_20180728_NYT_IslamUffizi_M3_121...jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 28 JULY 2018: A volunteer is seen here after opening the doors of the prayer hall of the Mosque of Florence, hosted in a former parking lot, here in Borgo Allegri in Florence, Italy, on July 28th 2018.<br />
<br />
"Islamic Art and Florence from the Medici to the 20th century”, curated by Giovanni Curatola and organised by the Uffizi  offers visitors the opportunity to discover the knowledge, exchange, dialogue and mutual influence that existed between the arts of East and West. The exhibition illustrates the extremely important role that Florence played in interfaith and intercultural exchange between the 15th and the early 20th centuries.<br />
<br />
According to Eike Schmidt, the Director of the Gallerie degli Uffizi, "the exhibition not only highlights the interest in Islamic culture that was strongly rooted in Medici collectintg and that continued well into the modern era, but it also testifies to the unprejudiced aesthetic fascination with the Orient that has always permeated European art. At the same time, it draws our attention to the crucial importance of trade, but primarily of intellectual and human exchange, in the Mediterranean basin and beyond as a means of enrichment and of peace".
    CIPG_20180728_NYT_IslamUffizi_M3_120...jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 28 JULY 2018: The interior of the prayer hall of the Mosque of Florence, hosted in a former parking lot, in Borgo Allegri, Florence, Italy, on July 28th 2018.<br />
<br />
"Islamic Art and Florence from the Medici to the 20th century”, curated by Giovanni Curatola and organised by the Uffizi  offers visitors the opportunity to discover the knowledge, exchange, dialogue and mutual influence that existed between the arts of East and West. The exhibition illustrates the extremely important role that Florence played in interfaith and intercultural exchange between the 15th and the early 20th centuries.<br />
<br />
According to Eike Schmidt, the Director of the Gallerie degli Uffizi, "the exhibition not only highlights the interest in Islamic culture that was strongly rooted in Medici collectintg and that continued well into the modern era, but it also testifies to the unprejudiced aesthetic fascination with the Orient that has always permeated European art. At the same time, it draws our attention to the crucial importance of trade, but primarily of intellectual and human exchange, in the Mediterranean basin and beyond as a means of enrichment and of peace".
    CIPG_20180728_NYT_IslamUffizi_M3_123...jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 28 JULY 2018: The minbar (pulpit)  is seen here in the prayer hall of the Mosque of Florence, hosted in a former parking lot in Borgo Allegri in Florence, Italy, on July 28th 2018.<br />
<br />
"Islamic Art and Florence from the Medici to the 20th century”, curated by Giovanni Curatola and organised by the Uffizi  offers visitors the opportunity to discover the knowledge, exchange, dialogue and mutual influence that existed between the arts of East and West. The exhibition illustrates the extremely important role that Florence played in interfaith and intercultural exchange between the 15th and the early 20th centuries.<br />
<br />
According to Eike Schmidt, the Director of the Gallerie degli Uffizi, "the exhibition not only highlights the interest in Islamic culture that was strongly rooted in Medici collectintg and that continued well into the modern era, but it also testifies to the unprejudiced aesthetic fascination with the Orient that has always permeated European art. At the same time, it draws our attention to the crucial importance of trade, but primarily of intellectual and human exchange, in the Mediterranean basin and beyond as a means of enrichment and of peace".
    CIPG_20180728_NYT_IslamUffizi_M3_122...jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 28 JULY 2018: A volunteer opens the portcullis of the Mosque of Florence, hosted in a former parking lot, here in Borgo Allegri in Florence, Italy, on July 28th 2018.<br />
<br />
"Islamic Art and Florence from the Medici to the 20th century”, curated by Giovanni Curatola and organised by the Uffizi  offers visitors the opportunity to discover the knowledge, exchange, dialogue and mutual influence that existed between the arts of East and West. The exhibition illustrates the extremely important role that Florence played in interfaith and intercultural exchange between the 15th and the early 20th centuries.<br />
<br />
According to Eike Schmidt, the Director of the Gallerie degli Uffizi, "the exhibition not only highlights the interest in Islamic culture that was strongly rooted in Medici collectintg and that continued well into the modern era, but it also testifies to the unprejudiced aesthetic fascination with the Orient that has always permeated European art. At the same time, it draws our attention to the crucial importance of trade, but primarily of intellectual and human exchange, in the Mediterranean basin and beyond as a means of enrichment and of peace".
    CIPG_20180728_NYT_IslamUffizi_M3_118...jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 28 JULY 2018: Shoes and sandals are left here at the entrance of the prayer hall of the Mosque of Florence, hosted  in a former parking lot, in Borgo Allegri in Florence, Italy, on July 28th 2018.<br />
<br />
"Islamic Art and Florence from the Medici to the 20th century”, curated by Giovanni Curatola and organised by the Uffizi  offers visitors the opportunity to discover the knowledge, exchange, dialogue and mutual influence that existed between the arts of East and West. The exhibition illustrates the extremely important role that Florence played in interfaith and intercultural exchange between the 15th and the early 20th centuries.<br />
<br />
According to Eike Schmidt, the Director of the Gallerie degli Uffizi, "the exhibition not only highlights the interest in Islamic culture that was strongly rooted in Medici collectintg and that continued well into the modern era, but it also testifies to the unprejudiced aesthetic fascination with the Orient that has always permeated European art. At the same time, it draws our attention to the crucial importance of trade, but primarily of intellectual and human exchange, in the Mediterranean basin and beyond as a means of enrichment and of peace".
    CIPG_20180728_NYT_IslamUffizi_M3_122...jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani (left), 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, discusses with his former high school professor Sheilkh Abdulwahab, 80, who joined the Nahda movement and was jailed under Ben Ali's regime, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1408.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: The secondary school of Said Ferjani is located in the outskirts of Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1282.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Abdulhamid Alwini, 57, drives his lifetime friend Said Ferjani around his hometown Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1157.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 17 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, is invited by the Abdulhamid Alwini's family in Kairouan, Tunisia on 17 December, 2011. Said Ferjani and Abdulhamid Alwini (not in picture) have been friends since elementary school, and haven't seen each other for 22 years when Said flew the country. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111217_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1093.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, in Sousse, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1528.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, in Sousse, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1518.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani (left), 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, discusses with his former high school professor Sheilkh Abdulwahab, 80, who joined the Nahda movement and was jailed under Ben Ali's regime, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1431.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Street life in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1378.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, walks next to his father's house who died in 2006 in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjan's father died in Kairouan 2006 while Said was in exile in the UK since 1989. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1336.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: A teapot lies on the floor of the abandoned house of Said Ferjani's father who died in 2006, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjan's father died in Kairouan 2006 while Said was in exile in the UK since 1989. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1315.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, looks at what remains of his father's house who died in 2006 in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjan's father died in Kairouan 2006 while Said was in exile in the UK since 1989. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1311.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, walks after the dawn prayer in the streets of his hometown Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1120.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 17 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, says goodbye to his lifetime friends in Kairouan, Tunisia on 17 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111217_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1084.jpg
  • Tunis, Tunisia - 17 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, is photographed at the Nahda headquarters in Tunis, Tunisia on 17 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111217_NYT_Ferjani__MG_0928.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, in Sousse, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1536.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, in Sousse, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1514.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani (left), 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, discusses with his former high school professor Sheilkh Abdulwahab, 80, who joined the Nahda movement and was jailed under Ben Ali's regime, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1466.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani (left), 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, discusses with his former high school professor Sheilkh Abdulwahab, 80, who joined the Nahda movement and was jailed under Ben Ali's regime, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1431.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, meets his lifetime friends at the Cafe de Paris in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1389.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, hugs a friend he hasn't seen during his 22 years exile in front of his father's house who died in 2006 in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjan's father died in Kairouan 2006 while Said was in exile in the UK since 1989. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1347.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, hugs a friend he hasn't seen during his 22 years exile in front of his father's house who died in 2006 in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjan's father died in Kairouan 2006 while Said was in exile in the UK since 1989. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1346.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: A mattress is in the abandoned house of Said Ferjani's father who died in 2006, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjan's father died in Kairouan 2006 while Said was in exile in the UK since 1989. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1317.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: A closet is in the abandoned house of Said Ferjani's father who died in 2006, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjan's father died in Kairouan 2006 while Said was in exile in the UK since 1989. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1316.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: A teapot lies on the floor of the abandoned house of Said Ferjani's father who died in 2006, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjan's father died in Kairouan 2006 while Said was in exile in the UK since 1989. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1315.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, looks at what remains of his father's house who died in 2006 in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjan's father died in Kairouan 2006 while Said was in exile in the UK since 1989. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1311.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: A young man walk in the degraded outskirts of Saud Ferjani's hometow Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1274.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: A Nahda party banner for the Tunisian Constituent Assemby is placed aboce the Medina wall in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1146.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: A man cooks breakfast at dawn in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani, 54, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1129.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, walks after the dawn prayer in the streets of his hometown Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1120.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 17 December, 2011: A sign on the highway indicates the exit for Kairouan, the hometown of Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, nearby Kairouan, Tunisia on 17 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111217_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1000.jpg
  • Tunis, Tunisia - 17 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 74, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, is photographed at the Nahda headquarters in Tunis, Tunisia on 17 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111217_NYT_Ferjani__MG_0984.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, exits the house of his former high school teacher Sheilch Abdulwahab, 80, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1472.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Sheilkh Abdulwahab, 80, was Said Ferjani's former high school professor who later joined the Nahda movement and was jailed under Ben Ali's regime, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1427.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani (left), 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, discusses with his former high school professor Sheilkh Abdulwahab, 80, who joined the Nahda movement and was jailed under Ben Ali's regime, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1415.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani (left), 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, discusses with his former high school professor Sheilkh Abdulwahab, 80, who joined the Nahda movement and was jailed under Ben Ali's regime, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1408.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: ,  in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1392.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: ,  in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
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Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1391.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, meets his lifetime friends at the Cafe de Paris in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
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Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1389.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, hugs a friend he hasn't seen during his 22 years exile in front of his father's house who died in 2006 in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjan's father died in Kairouan 2006 while Said was in exile in the UK since 1989. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1346.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: A mattress is in the abandoned house of Said Ferjani's father who died in 2006, in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjan's father died in Kairouan 2006 while Said was in exile in the UK since 1989. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1317.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: The secondary school of Said Ferjani is located in the outskirts of Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
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Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1282.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: A young man walk in the degraded outskirts of Saud Ferjani's hometow Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1274.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: A Nahda party banner for the Tunisian Constituent Assemby is placed aboce the Medina wall in Kairouan, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1146.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 17 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, is invited by the Abdulhamid Alwini's family in Kairouan, Tunisia on 17 December, 2011. Said Ferjani and Abdulhamid Alwini (not in picture) have been friends since elementary school, and haven't seen each other for 22 years when Said flew the country. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
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Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111217_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1088.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 17 December, 2011: A sign on the highway indicates the exit for Kairouan, the hometown of Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, nearby Kairouan, Tunisia on 17 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111217_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1000.jpg
  • Tunis, Tunisia - 17 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, is photographed at the Nahda headquarters in Tunis, Tunisia on 17 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111217_NYT_Ferjani__MG_0994.jpg
  • Tunis, Tunisia - 17 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, is photographed at the Nahda headquarters in Tunis, Tunisia on 17 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111217_NYT_Ferjani__MG_0964.jpg
  • Kairouan, Tunisia - 18 December, 2011: Said Ferjani, 57, senior member of the political and communication bureau of the Nahda (Renaissance) party, in Sousse, Tunisia on 18 December, 2011. In the 24 October 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, the first elections since the Tunisian Revolution, the party won 40% of the vote, and 89 of the 217 assembly seats, far more than any other party. Said Ferjani started his activism in the Negra mosque of his hometown Kairouan when he was 16 years old, debating on politics, philosophy, economy and world events. In 1989 former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali turned against Nahda (or Ennahda) and jailed 25,000 activists. Said Ferjani was jailed and tortured. He then flew Tunisia and moved to the UK. He came back to Tunisia after 22 years, after former dictator Ben Ali flew the country.<br />
<br />
Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times
    CIPG_20111218_NYT_Ferjani__MG_1528.jpg
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