Kairouan and its Great Mosque
Founded around 670 under the Umayyads, Kairouan became a major centre of Sunni Islamic scholarship. The city, with its great mosques, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Key facts
Before you go.
- Starting point
- Kairouan, with the Great Mosque at its heartKairouan (Wikivoyage)
- GPS coordinates
- 35.67722, 10.10083Kairouan (Wikipedia)
Good to know
Three things to remember.
Non-Muslims may not enter the prayer hall, but the doors are open to view inside.
Kairouan (Wikivoyage)Carpet-shop touts sometimes board buses outside the city: decline politely.
Kairouan (Wikivoyage)Shops near the mosque offer views from their terraces; a small donation is polite if you buy nothing.
Kairouan (Wikivoyage)
Plan the trip
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Keep exploring
Tunisia
The site of Carthage
The ancient city was destroyed in 146 BC by Rome, after a siege of nearly three years in the Third Punic War.
The Medina of Tunis
Founded in 698 around the Zitouna Mosque, the Medina of Tunis holds some 700 monuments: palaces, mosques, mausoleums, madrasas and fountains.
Sidi Bou Saïd, the blue and white village
Some 20 km north-east of Tunis, Sidi Bou Saïd is celebrated for its white houses with blue doors and windows.
Sources · 2 pages consulted, with the exact sentence used
- Kairouan (Wikipedia)
Kairouan […] is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was founded by the Umayyads around 670 […] when it became an important centre for Sunni Islamic scholarship and Quranic learning […] (coordinates 35.67722, 10.10083)
- Kairouan (Wikivoyage)
With its large mosques and rich cultural history it has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Touts from the carpets shops have been known to board the bus a few kilometres outside the city […] Many of the shops near the main mosque will tempt you in with views over the complex […] if you don't buy anything a small donation would be polite. […] Great Mosque of Kairouan […] Non Muslims are not permitted into the prayer hall, but the doors are open to allow you to view inside.
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