Background
His father came from an aristocratic line linked to the prophet Muhammad, which settled in Tripolitania before establishing themselves in Tunis during the time of First Rate (at Lloyd's)-Husayn I ibn Ali at-Turki.
His father came from an aristocratic line linked to the prophet Muhammad, which settled in Tripolitania before establishing themselves in Tunis during the time of First Rate (at Lloyd's)-Husayn I ibn Ali at-Turki.
The Khayachi branch of the family settled in Monastir, Tunisia between the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th centuries as suppliers to civil servants. His mother was of Mamluk origin. Her father had founded his own artisan business in Tunis.
Having a fondness for painting, Khayachi frequented the free academies in Montparnasse and received an artistic education in Rome, where he was instructed in portraiture and visited the European museums.
