diff --git a/api/src/lib.rs b/api/src/lib.rs
index 4ff9f1e..42463f8 100644
--- a/api/src/lib.rs
+++ b/api/src/lib.rs
@@ -39,5 +39,6 @@ pub mod parser;
 pub mod prefix;
 pub mod quad;
 pub mod serializer;
+pub mod sparql;
 pub mod term;
 pub mod triple;
diff --git a/api/src/sparql.rs b/api/src/sparql.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..406a53a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/src/sparql.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,181 @@
+//! Common traits for working with [SPARQL](https://www.w3.org/TR/sparql11-query/).
+//!
+//! # Design rationale
+//!
+//! These traits are deliberately very generic.
+//! Specific implementations may have additional features, such as:
+//!
+//! - setting default values for `BASE`, `PREFIX`, `FROM`, `FROM NAMED` directives,
+//!   before parsing query string, or
+//! - pre-binding variables before evaluating query;
+//! - etc...
+//!
+//! However, we do not want to impose these feature, or any subset thereof,
+//! to all implementation of Sophia.
+//!
+//! # Extension point
+//!
+//! A possible way to extend these traits with additional functionalities
+//! (such as the ones described above)
+//! would be to define subtraits of `Query` with additional methods
+//! (*e.g.*`set_base`, `bind_variables`...).
+//!
+//! Sophia may define such traits in the future,
+//!
+//! Sophia
+
+use crate::term::TTerm;
+use crate::triple::stream::TripleSource;
+use std::borrow::Borrow;
+use std::error::Error;
+
+/// A dataset that can be queried with SPARQL.
+pub trait SparqlDataset {
+    /// The type of terms that SELECT queries will return.
+    type BindingsTerm: TTerm;
+    /// The type of bindings that SELECT queries will return.
+    type BindingsResult: SparqlBindings<Self>;
+    /// The type of triples that GRAPH and DESCRIBE queries will return.
+    type TriplesResult: TripleSource;
+    /// The type of errors that processing SPARQL queries may raise.
+    type SparqlError: Error + 'static;
+    /// The type representing pre-processed queries.
+    ///
+    /// See [`prepare_query`](#tymethod.prepare_query) for more defail.
+    type Query: Query<Error = Self::SparqlError>;
+
+    /// Parse and immediately execute `query`.
+    ///
+    /// `query` is usually either a `&str` that will be parsed on the fly,
+    /// or a `Self::Query` that was earlier prepared by the [`prepare_query`] method.
+    ///
+    /// [`prepare_query`]: #method.prepared
+    fn query<Q>(&self, query: Q) -> Result<SparqlResult<Self>, Self::SparqlError>
+    where
+        Q: ToQuery<Self::Query>;
+
+    /// Prepare a query for multiple future executions.
+    ///
+    /// This allows some implementation to separate parsing,
+    /// (or any other pre-processing step)
+    /// of the query string from the actual exectution of the query.
+    /// There is however no guarantee on how much pre-processing is actually done by this method
+    /// (see below).
+    ///
+    /// # Note to implementers
+    ///
+    /// If it is impossible or inconvenient to provide a type for pre-parsed queries,
+    /// you can still use `String`, which implements the [`Query`] trait.
+    ///
+    /// [`Query`]: ./trait.Query.html
+    fn prepare_query(&self, query_string: &str) -> Result<Self::Query, Self::SparqlError> {
+        Self::Query::parse(query_string)
+    }
+}
+
+/// Preprocessed query, ready for execution.
+///
+/// This trait exist to allow *some* implementations of [`SparqlDataset`]
+/// to mutualize the parsing of queries in the [`prepare_query`] method.
+///
+/// [`SparqlDataset`]: ./trait.SparqlDataset.html
+/// [`prepare_query`]: ./trait.SparqlDataset.html#tymethod.prepare_query
+pub trait Query: Sized {
+    type Error: Error + 'static;
+    fn parse(query_source: &str) -> Result<Self, Self::Error>;
+}
+
+impl Query for String {
+    type Error = std::convert::Infallible;
+    fn parse(query_source: &str) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
+        Ok(query_source.into())
+    }
+}
+
+/// A utility trait to allow [`SparqlDataset::query`]
+/// to accept either `&str` or `Self::Query`.
+///
+/// [`SparqlDataset::query`]: ./trait.SparqlDataset.html#tymethod.query
+pub trait ToQuery<Q: Query> {
+    type Out: Borrow<Q>;
+    fn to_query(self) -> Result<Self::Out, Q::Error>;
+}
+
+impl<'a, Q> ToQuery<Q> for &'a Q
+where
+    Q: Query,
+{
+    type Out = &'a Q;
+    fn to_query(self) -> Result<Self::Out, Q::Error> {
+        Ok(self)
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'a, Q> ToQuery<Q> for &'a str
+where
+    Q: Query,
+{
+    type Out = Q;
+    fn to_query(self) -> Result<Self::Out, Q::Error> {
+        Q::parse(self)
+    }
+}
+
+/// The result of executing a SPARQL query.
+pub enum SparqlResult<T>
+where
+    T: SparqlDataset + ?Sized,
+{
+    /// The result of a SELECT query
+    Bindings(T::BindingsResult),
+    /// The result of an ASK query
+    Boolean(bool),
+    /// The result of a CONSTRUCT or DESCRIBE query
+    Triples(T::TriplesResult),
+}
+
+impl<T> SparqlResult<T>
+where
+    T: SparqlDataset + ?Sized,
+{
+    /// Get this result as a `Bindings`.
+    ///
+    /// # Panics
+    /// This will panic if `self` is actually of another kind.
+    pub fn into_bindings(self) -> T::BindingsResult {
+        match self {
+            SparqlResult::Bindings(b) => b,
+            _ => panic!("This SparqlResult is not a Bindings"),
+        }
+    }
+    /// Get this result as a `Boolean`.
+    ///
+    /// # Panics
+    /// This will panic if `self` is actually of another kind.
+    pub fn into_boolean(self) -> bool {
+        match self {
+            SparqlResult::Boolean(b) => b,
+            _ => panic!("This SparqlResult is not a Boolean"),
+        }
+    }
+    /// Get this result as a `Triples`.
+    ///
+    /// # Panics
+    /// This will panic if `self` is actually of another kind.
+    pub fn into_triples(self) -> T::TriplesResult {
+        match self {
+            SparqlResult::Triples(t) => t,
+            _ => panic!("This SparqlResult is not a Triples"),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// The result of executing a SPARQL SELECT query
+pub trait SparqlBindings<D>:
+    IntoIterator<Item = Result<Vec<Option<D::BindingsTerm>>, D::SparqlError>>
+where
+    D: SparqlDataset + ?Sized,
+{
+    /// Return the list of SELECTed variable names
+    fn variables(&self) -> Vec<&str>;
+}