Kairouan

Kairouan, in the interior of Tunisia, is one of the holiest cities of Islam, long regarded as the fourth most important after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem, and a UNESCO site. Founded in the seventh century, it grew around the magnificent Great Mosque of Kairouan, one of the oldest and most important in the Muslim world, whose vast, austere courtyard and forest of ancient columns are surrounded by a medina of winding lanes, souks and the workshops of the city's famous carpet-makers.

History

Around 670 the Arab general Uqba ibn Nafi, under Caliph Mu'awiya, chose a site in thick forest, where the Byzantine garrison town of Kamounia had stood, for a military post for the conquest of the west, far from the sea; the name comes from a word for a military column or caravan. Berber resistance went on under Kusaila, whose troops killed Uqba at Biskra some fifteen years later, and then under al-Kahina, killed in 702, after which most Berbers converted to Islam. The city became an important centre of Sunni scholarship and Quranic learning around the Mosque of Uqba, and it is a World Heritage Site (Wikipedia, Kairouan).

The main sights

• The Great Mosque - one of the oldest and holiest mosques in Islam.
• The medina - the old town of lanes, souks and carpets.
• The carpet workshops - the famous Kairouan carpet-making.
• The Aghlabid basins - the ancient water reservoirs.

When to go

Spring and autumn for the mildest weather, as the interior is very hot in summer; the courtyard of the Great Mosque is open to visitors, though the prayer hall is viewable only from the doorway for non-Muslims. Check visiting hours and dress code.

Before you go

As a holy city, dress modestly, and non-Muslim visitors may enter the Great Mosque's courtyard but not the prayer hall itself, viewing it only from the door. It is a conservative, religious city rather than a resort. The carpet shops apply a hard sell. It is often a day trip from the coast, but its holiness and the great mosque give it a unique atmosphere.

Nearby

El Jem, Sousse and the interior towns are within reach.

Key facts