Explosion is a fast physical or physicochemical process taking place ...
Until 1057, Kairouan was the Tunisian capital, then at one time it shared this status with Mahdia and eventually lost it in favor of the city of Tunisia. But to this day, Kairouan is revered as a holy city: many Tunisians believe that seven pilgrimage trips here can replace the pilgrimage to Mecca.
The main attraction of Kairouan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the Great Mosque, or Iqba Mosque, located in the far northeast. The mosque is magnificent in its simplicity, especially when compared to the exquisite details seen in later examples of religious architecture.
Inside the mosque, there is a large, asymmetrical courtyard that was once used as a collection site for rainwater. It contains a minaret displaced from the center, the oldest in the world - it is dated to 730. The windows in the minaret get larger as the height increases, creating an interesting spatial perspective. The prayer hall, with six aisles on either side and eight aisles inside, is where visitors enter through wonderful carved wooden doors. This hall is compared to a forest because of the large number of columns supporting the ceiling - there are many rumors and legends about them. They say that if you try to count the columns, you will go blind; others say that if you cannot squeeze between these columns, then you will never get to heaven.
Since the Great Mosque has tremendous religious significance, legend claims that seven trips here equate to one pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The Grand Mosque is always full of pilgrims.
The names of the streets here often change, so most often the street is known not by one, but by two names. Kairouan is also known for its gorgeous knitted and woven carpets.
City walk
The starting point for your city tour is the Tourist Information Office located by the pools of the Aghlabids. At the information desk you can get tickets for visiting mosques. Then, climb up to the rooftop terrace and take in the top view of the Kairouan Old City. Walled, with countless towering minarets, all ocher and white, it looks completely Sahara.
Several swimming pools are visible right next to the tourist office, also protected by walls: these are water reservoirs built in the 9th century by the Aghlabids. At first glance, they appear to be round, although in reality they are 64-sided. The depth of both large basins is 5 m. A total of 22 such basins are known in the vicinity of Kairouan. They were connected by long aqueducts with springs in the Jebel Keslat mountains and during its heyday they supplied water not only to this city.
Ibn al-Jazzar Avenue (Av. Ibn el-Jazzar) leads from these pools south to the city wall and the Kasbah, where a very comfortable hotel is now located.
If you walk along the city wall to the northeast, you will eventually come to the Grand Mosque (Sidi Okba mosque), the main shrine of Kairua-na. It was founded back in 670 AD. e. and was completed with each new dynasty of Tunisian rulers. Despite the adjoining annexes, this courtyard mosque still retains the austere, low-key architecture of the early Islamic period. The oldest parts of it are already 1300 years old. Non-Muslims are only allowed to enter a huge rectangular courtyard surrounded by a colonnade. Column capitals for the most part come from the ruins of Roman structures. Opposite the prayer hall rises a powerful three-stage * minaret, crowned with warlike battlements, like a watchtower. The courtyard is arranged with a slight slope towards the center, so that water after rains can drain through the mesh in the floor into the cistern located under it. In one corner of the courtyard, a sundial is visible, which also probably dates back to the first years of the mosque's existence.
The entrance to the prayer hall is open only to Muslims, but most often the doors leading into it are wide open, so you can appreciate all the luxury of the interior, which is decorated with more than four hundred columns of various heights. These columns, too, are for the most part recovered from the rich supply of local Roman ruins, including Ain Jelula.
The middle nave leads directly to the mihrab niche. This niche in the wall facing Mecca is decorated with tiled mosaics and is considered one of the finest mihrabs, and its decoration is the oldest example of earthenware in Tunisia. These tiles are believed to have been made in 860 in Baghdad. The eleven-step pulpit, called the minbar, probably also dates back to this time and is decorated with unique carvings. The floors are carpeted, the chandeliers cast dim light, and in this sublime atmosphere, believers kneel down to pray or study sacred texts. Visitors should by all means be quiet and completely refrain from inappropriate flash photography.
And here is the gate of Lalla Rihan (Lalla-Rihana) the southeast wall of the mosque is best viewed from the outside. This gate, which leads directly to the prayer hall, is an elegant annex topped with a dome. They were erected in 1294 so that dignitaries could enter the mosque without going around the building through the courtyard.
In the confusion of narrow streets, it is difficult to find a way from the Great Mosque through the Old Town to the bazaar area. Leaving the temple, you need to go left to the corner, and then along El-Kadraoui street (Rue el-Kadraoui) towards the south-west, moving away from the mosque diagonally. On the way, you will see the Tunisia Experience multimedia center, where the history of Kairouan is shown in a very vivid film.
At the intersection of Dar el Bey streets (Rue Dar el-Bey) and Kood (Rue de Koud) you need to turn left, and then on the street of the Three-Gate Mosque (Rue de la Mosquee des Trois Portes) - to the right. There will also be the Three-Gate Mosque itself, which is easy to recognize by its three entrances located in a row. Founded in 866 by a wealthy merchant, this mosque has a beautiful frieze on its façade with stucco ornamentation and calligraphy. The street of the Three-Gate Mosque opens onto a small square with the famous Bir Baruta well (Bir Barouta)... "Bir" means "source", and it is to this that special properties are attributed: they say that it has a magical connection with the sacred river Zem-Zem in Mecca, therefore its water heals all diseases that one can imagine. The camel, which spins the wheel with scoops, constantly moving in a circle, is blindfolded so that he does not get dizzy.
Here you will find yourself in the heart of the bazaar quarter. But before you go shopping, it is worth a short look at the Qzawiye Sidi Abid el-Gariani (Zaouia de Sidi Abid el-Ghariani)... Founded in the 14th century, this religious center of the Islamic community has a beautiful courtyard lined with black and white marble. The same two-tone decor is used in the horseshoe-shaped arches that close the colonnade located along the perimeter. And this colonnade itself is decorated with such graceful and patterned stucco moldings, such amazing carved wooden ceilings that you can walk here for hours, examining every detail.
Bab El Shuad Gate (Bab ech-Chouada) lead from Medina to the New City. El Bedjaoui Square, or Martyrs Square (Place el-Bejaoui, Place des Martyrs), surrounded by street cafes where mostly men kill time.
Back to Medina, to the world of shopping streets, now it is better to return along the main street of Kairouan - 7 November Street (Rue du 7. Novembre)... On the left and right, the turns lead to the covered bazaar rows (souks) and the Kairouan market square, where fruits and vegetables are sold in the morning. For those looking for an authentic local restaurant for their lunch break, try a simple meal at Restaurant de la Jeunesse in the bazaar quarter, along with merchants and customers. Be sure to try the kairouan sweet dish, makruod (makroudh): These pyramid-lined date baked goods adorn the shop windows of pastry shops.
At the gates of Bab et Tunes (Bab et-Tunes) Medina ends, and further the path lies along the rue Haute-Marche (Rue du Haut Marche) west to Republic Avenue (Av. De la Republique)... On the left is another shrine of Kairouan, the zawiya of Sidi Amor Abbad (Zaouia de Sidi Amor Abbada) It is also called the "Saber Mosque" because it was built in the 19th century by a blacksmith who decorated his mausoleum with all kinds of blades. The Republic Avenue leading to the right leads to the most important goal of the pilgrims of the holy city: to the zawiya of Sidi Sahaba (Zaouia de Sidi Sahab), also popularly called the "Bradobreya Mosque". Here rests a companion of the Prophet Muhammad, who is often mistakenly considered him a barber, because he owned three hairs from the prophet's beard and carried them with him as a talisman.
Zawiya, a whole complex of the saint's tomb, mosque, madrasah and hotel for pilgrims, was thoroughly rebuilt in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Therefore, unlike the Great Mosque, it appears in the magnificent architectural style of the Hafsid era, when the Ottoman governors ruled in Tunisia. The wealth of majolica tiles and stucco moldings on the walls is striking; the ceilings of excellent cedar wood are decorated with exquisite paintings, the floors are covered with marble. Pilgrims pray at the tomb and then go to the minister to sprinkle them with rose water. First of all, women and girls come to Sidi Sahab to ask him for happiness and fertility.
By car or taxi, you can reach one of the most beautiful collections of Islamic art that Tunisia has to offer. She is in the suburb of Reckada (Reqqada)... But this Islamic museum (Musee Islamique) there is one drawback: the signatures for most of the exhibits are in Arabic. This, however, does not interfere with admiring ornaments and calligraphic inscriptions on glass, on the Koran scrolls, on plaster and wood.
(Arabic القيروان; French Kairouan; English Kairouan)
UNESCO site
Kairouan - the holiest city for Muslims in Tunisia and the fourth holiest city of Islam after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. This small town is a place of religious pilgrimage.
Kairouan was founded in 670 AD (50th year of Hijri - the Muslim calendar) and is one of the oldest cities in Tunisia. Its founder was the first Arab governor of Africa - Uqba ibn Nafi (nephew of Amr ibn al-As), choosing this place as a stronghold on the newly conquered lands.
Kairouan Map
There is an interesting legend why the place for the camp was chosen here. According to this legend, it was at the site of today's Kairouan that Uqba ibn Nafi's horse stumbled over a golden goblet lying in the sand, which had been lost several years earlier in Mecca. At the place where the goblet was found, a source began to beat and it was decided to set up a permanent military camp here and build a mosque.
Initially, Kairouan was built as a stronghold to protect the conquered lands from nomad Berbers far from the sea, but in 688 - 689 the latter achieved their goal, and Kairouan was ravaged by the Berbers, after which the city was restored and it became the residence of the Arab governors of Ifrikiyya (now the territory modern Tunisia and Eastern Algeria).
During the Aghlabid dynasty (800 - 909) Kairouan experienced a real heyday. The province of Africa gains independence and Kairouan becomes the capital. At this time, various structures are being built and rebuilt here, as well as the Great Mosque of Kairouan (Sidi-Okba) is being rebuilt and reservoirs are being built. In this century, Kairouan turned into a sacred city for the Sunnis and at the same time an important point of transit trade, as well as a major scientific and cultural center.
But, the flourishing of the city did not last long, the cities of Africa fell under the rule of the Shiites of the Fatimids and in 910 Kairouan lost the status of the capital. In 972, the Fatimids, who conquered Egypt, appointed Buluggin ibn Zin as the ruler of Ifrikiya, who founded the Zirid dynasty (972 - 1148). In the mid-1040s, the Zirids declared independence from the Fatimids and again made Kairouan their capital. But, and this time, Kairouan was not the capital for long.
Regular attacks by the Bedouins of the Hilal tribe led to the need to move the capital of the state from Kairouan to Tunisia. Until 1057, Kairouan was the Tunisian capital, then, at one time, it shared this status with Mahdia and, as a result, lost it in favor of the city of Tunisia. After the transfer of the capital, Kairouan ceased to be given so much attention, the city, over time, was pretty empty and developed as a bargain far from the capital for the sale of food to nomads.
Today Kairouan is one of the largest cities in Tunisia. About 120 thousand people live here. This city was and remains the spiritual capital of Tunisia and is considered a holy city for Muslims. There are 85 mosques in the city, which have raised four-sided minaret towers to the sky. But, the main attraction of the city, known far beyond Tunisia, here, of course, remains the Great Mosque of Kairouan.
Kairouan consists of two parts - the Old City (Medina), surrounded by a fortified wall of the early 18th century, and the New European-style city that grew up next to it. Medina begins with the picturesque Bab al-Shuhad gate (Gate of the Martyrs). Medina has retained its ancient appearance; the bustling Belhauan Avenue, Kairouan's main shopping artery, contrasts with the quiet, narrow Arab streets of the rest of the Medina. Street names change frequently, so most often a street is known not by one, but by two names.
The narrow streets of the Medina lead to sheltered market stalls (boughs) and the Kairouan market square, where fruits and vegetables are sold in the morning. Since the 9th century, the city has been famous for its crafts - the production of carpets, leather products (from camel saddles to Arab shoes) and copper products (bowls, trays, vases with exquisite chasing and engraving). Therefore, no matter how you arrive in Kairouan - by taxi or with an excursion, you will not be able to avoid the stalls with your products.
If you walk along the city wall of Medina to the northeast, you will soon see the Great Mosque of Kairouan. The mosque is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is magnificent in its simplicity, and its scale, by right, makes it possible to call the mosque "Great". But, in addition to its enormous size, the Great Mosque of Kairouan also has great religious significance - it is always full of pilgrims. Many argue that seven trips here equate to one pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
In addition to the Great Mosque of Kairouan, the Zaviya Sidi Sahab, or "The Barber's Mosque", is also one of the shrines of the city - the mausoleum of one of Muhammad's companions, in which a lock of the prophet's hair is kept. This mausoleum complex was reconstructed in the 17th century (in the style of the Alhambra in Grenada), and is a series of courtyards and richly decorated halls, over which a square minaret rises. Unlike the Great Mosque, the mausoleum appears in the lush architectural style of the Hafsid era, when the Ottoman governors ruled Tunisia.
A very interesting attraction of Kairouan is the Aghlabid pools. In fact, these are water reservoirs built in the 9th century by the Aghlabids. At first glance, they seem to be round, although in reality they are 64 coal. Both large pools are 5 meters deep. Ibn al-Jazzar Avenue leads from these pools south to the city wall and the Kasbah, where there are comfortable hotels.
It will not be superfluous to visit the National Museum of Islamic Art, which is located in the suburb of Kairouan - Rekkada (7 km from the city). Here you can see one of the most beautiful and valuable collections in North Africa, which is housed in the former palace of President Bourguiba.
Kairouan is a small traditional city of Tunisia that plays a huge role for Muslims around the world. But, even if you adhere to another religion or are not religious at all, visiting the city and sightseeing will be a very entertaining pastime.
Read also:
The Great Mosque of Kairouan - is it so big and what is hidden behind its walls
Tours to Tunisia – specials of the day
Few people know, but in the Islamic tradition there are several holy cities, besides Mecca and Medina. In addition to them, this is expected Jerusalem, and the 4th most important city among Muslims is Tunisian Kairouan. It is here that one of the oldest mosques in the world is located, and the city itself, according to legend, is connected with Mecca by an underground river. In addition, until 1881 the city was closed to non-Muslims.
Kairouan, oddly enough, is not the most popular city among tourists, although it is located very close to the resort area and the coast - Sousa, Monastir, Mahdia (60-80 km). You can get here by train, bus or taxi. I drove a rental car
The city begins its history with a Byzantine fortress that protected the population from the warlike Berber tribes. In the 7th century, the Arabs came here and founded the city exactly on the site of the fortress, using it as an outpost for the subsequent conquest of North Africa, Spain and southern Italy. For several centuries Kairouan was the capital of a number of Arab states in the Maghreb, but in the 11th century the capital was moved north and the city lost its significance. This happened after the devastating raid of the Berbers in 1057, when the city was almost completely destroyed.
If we talk about the religious significance of the city, then until 1881 Kairouan was closed to non-Muslims, like Mecca and Medina. And only under the rule of the French in Tunisia did Christians appear in Kairouan.
Medina of the city - the old city, surrounded by a wall since 1988, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. However, most of the sights, mostly religious, are located just outside these walls.
A good selection of photos can be compiled from the ancient doorways of the medina of Kairouan
Another distinctive feature of the local medina is a huge number of mosques, there are dozens of them here, literally one for several houses
As in any eastern city, trade is boiling inside
The vaults of the old market
To explore the sights of Kairouan, you have to buy a general ticket for 10 Tunisian dinars. The price includes 6 objects - the main mosque, swimming pools and several more mausoleums and madrasahs. True, I was able to use it only 2 times, I simply did not find the necessary objects, and time did not allow me to stay longer in the city.
The main attraction is the cathedral mosque, founded together with the city in 670. This is an example of Islamic architecture, which has become the spiritual center for Muslims in Africa and the entire Mediterranean. In addition, the Okba Mosque has become the center of knowledge of the Islamic world. The mosque is small by today's standards. The entrance to the prayer rooms is closed to the wrong people, but you can take a photo. A distinctive feature of the mosque - 414 Roman columns around its perimeter, brought from the Roman El-Jem.
35-meter minaret
Immediately after leaving the mosque, a local will run up to you and say that there is one more object nearby with a ticket - to climb to the roof of the house. You will be led through a local carpet store and offered to film the mosque from above. Most likely this is a local trick, on the way back you will be desperately offered carpets. But the carpet was not part of my plans, and I quite calmly left this shop.
Another very famous local object is the 9th century pools, the diameter of the largest is 73 meters. They are also considered sacred. With a ticket, you will be allowed to climb to the roof of the local administration and see the panorama. True, people were seen near the pools.
There are not many options for living in the city, there are only 3 of them on booking. I can recommend the hotel Continentallocated right by the pools. Good location behind strong walls with security, ample parking, good quality, breakfast, pool and inexpensive. About 50-60 euros per night. All the same, there is nothing better in the city.
A little to the left of the hotel, on the other side of the avenue, there is a supermarket of the French chain Monoprix. Open from 8 to 20.00. The rest of the city is local - they are smaller and worse. Kairouan is also famous for its cookies, nothing special, but you can try.
The entire city can be explored at a calm pace in 5 hours. This is a medina, swimming pools and several objects along the perimeter of the center. Not far from Kairouan, 1.5 drive away, there are several ruins that have preserved the features of the Berber, Numidian, Punic and Roman cities (!). Also an hour away on the highway is El Jem, a city with an excellently preserved Roman amphitheater, one of the largest in the world.
The sacred city of the Maghreb (Northern African lands) - Kairouan - arose in the steppes of Tunisia in the 7th century.
The destroyed Byzantine fortress from 670 served as the starting point of the Arab conquests on the mainland. This is the first capital of Tunisia, which at first served as just a military camp. The founder of the city, the commander Uqba ibn-Nafi, chose this place, which seemed to him rich in water, for the outpost.
Kairouan is a city where Islamic religious traditions are held sacred. Muslims can make a seven-time pilgrimage to the city instead of the Hajj and, becoming guests of Allah, receive his blessing and forgiveness in earthly life.
Tourists are primarily interested in the Old Town and many ancient mosques that have survived to this day. Some are open for tourist visits, while others can only be viewed from the outside.
Medina
Medina Kairouana, TunisiaBehind the massive fortress walls of the medina, the measured life of the Old Town flows, which seems to have remained in the Middle Ages. It is interesting to walk around the block with narrow streets and countless alleys, buy souvenirs in small shops, enjoy the atmosphere and see the obligatory blue doors of houses and door knockers at the entrance.
The old town is a colorful white and blue design of all buildings, where there are many interesting gates with colorful patterns on them and unusual handles. An unusual combination of glitz and poverty.
This part of the city has been completely preserved. The fortress walls stretch for 3.5 km, and the area of \u200b\u200bthe medina is about 54 hectares. UNESCO declared the entire territory of the Old City a World Heritage Site, and 36 sights of particular value to humanity.
Unesco tablet in the medina of Kairouana, Tunisia It houses the Great Mosque and small museums, as well as over 80 other mosques, from large to the smallest and oldest.
A huge number of shops and shops, in which the abundance and beauty of local carpets simply dazzle.
It is necessary to bargain here, otherwise it will be regarded as disrespect for the owner of the shop.
In the old market, you should buy the famous Tunisian makrud biscuits with dates and orange peel. The best restaurants are also within the fortress walls.
You can get to this part of the city through the gates of Bab et-Tunes, Bab el-Kuka or Bab ech-Chukhada.
Barber's mosque
The building is famous for the grave of Abu Zama Al-Belaoui, who during his lifetime was a companion and barber of the Prophet Mohammed. The name of the mosque was laid by the legend that Abu Zama never parted with three hairs of the Prophet Mohamed and took them everywhere with him. This lock of hair was lowered into the barber's grave.
The Barber's Mosque (Sidi Sahbi), Kairouan, Tunisia This structure is unusual in that there is no common prayer space, and the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe building is divided into rooms and departments. There are madrasahs here, and pilgrims will find accommodation in a hotel under the arches of the mosque.
The entrance to the mausoleum of Abu Zama Al-Belaoui is open only to Muslims, but the tomb of the barber and the sarcophagus, built in the 7th century, are very clearly visible from the outside.
Pools of the Aghlabids
Historians consider the construction of reservoirs-reservoirs of a similar design in the Middle Ages as a hydrotechnical masterpiece. Now tourists can see only two of them. The rest have not survived.
The diameter of one pool is 128 m, the other - 34 m. Together they hold 53 tons of water. The large pool is the main water tank, the small one is the sump. The communicating reservoirs supplied water to the emir palaces of the Aghlabids.
Aghlabid Basins, Kairouan, Tunisia It is known that at least 15 pools were built around the entire perimeter of the settlement. The springs, located 35 km away from the city, filled the reservoirs. Water was supplied to the pools through an aqueduct. All hydraulic engineering calculations were carried out very accurately, therefore, a constant water level is still maintained in the reservoirs.
Sidi-Ukba Mosque
This is the main attraction and symbol of the city. It is the largest in Tunisia and the first cult Islamic building in the Maghreb. In the construction of all other mosques on the mainland, the imitation of its canons can be traced.
The Great Mosque of Kairouan bears the name of the city's founder.
The first stone in its foundation was laid back in 670. In the Middle Ages, the walls of the temple were used as a fortress and protected the inhabitants during military conflicts and nomadic raids. The mosque has been perfectly preserved to this day. From the 7th to the 9th century, with the coming to power of each new ruler, it was rebuilt and gradually increased in size.
Sidi Uqba Mosque, Kairouan, Tunisia The perimeter of the mosque is 405, the area is 9 thousand square meters. m. This is one of the oldest places of worship in the Islamic world. The Friday prayer is still held in it, at which the monotonous chant of the muezzin summons the faithful from the ancient minaret.
Minaret of the Sidi Uqba Mosque, Kairouan, Tunisia The minaret is a rather massive structure 32 m high with a square shape unusual for Islamic culture. Non-Muslim tourists will not appreciate the beauty of the hypostyle prayer hall, but they will appreciate the beauty of the huge marble cobbled courtyard. More than 4 hundred antique columns from Carthage and other cities of the times of Roman rule are inscribed in this territory.
Access to the mosque for inspection is only allowed in the morning.
Barut's Well
This is one of the Muslim shrines. Legend has it that the founder of the city stuck an arrow into the ground, and from there water began to beat. A well of Bir Barut was dug at this place, presumably in the 8th century. Until now, a camel walks in a circle, the medieval mechanism turns, and water is supplied to the surface. Believers visit this place to drink holy water, and tourists to see part of the medieval history of the city.
Well of Baruta (Bir Barouta), Kairouan, Tunisia It is believed that everyone who has tried this water will come here someday.
Admission is free, but it is customary to leave a few coins for the camel and its owner.
Mosque of Three Doors
This religious building is notable in that men, women, children must enter here through separate entrances intended for them. The construction was paid for by the wealthy Spanish merchant Muhammad ibn Haruna al-Mafiri in the 9th century.
Three Doors Mosque, Kairouan, Tunisia Access for non-Muslims is prohibited, but outside you can admire the bizarre oriental ornaments of the facade, on which, moreover, ancient sayings fit in.
Governor's mansion
This is the old palace of the governor of Kairouan, converted into a carpet shop. The house itself from the 18th century is magnificently preserved, and now it has been reconstructed. There are two large halls, living quarters and a harem. The interior features intricate combinations of wood, textiles, marble, casting and lattice structures. The house has an excellent terrace with a beautiful view of the city.
Governor's Mansion, Kairouan, Tunisia You can see the mansion for free, but tourists are sure to be shown the art of carpet weaving and offered to buy some of the carpets.
Hotels
How to get there
There is no airport near Kairouan, the railway connection with the city is only automobile. Therefore, people come here by buses, minibuses or taxis.
From Tunisia only by bus, from Sousse - by bus or route taxi (Luage). You can only get from Monastir or Hammamet with a transfer in Sousse. Buses arrive at a stop near the Aghlabid basin.
All signs on public transport are in Arabic script, so you need to ask the drivers, naming the final destination. The fare is not high, so sometimes travelers use taxi services, negotiating with the driver.
If a tourist gets to Kairouan by a rented car, then we can safely say that he will not get lost. The roads in the country are good, and along the way there are many signs that will lead you straight to your destination.
