Africa

Kairouan

Kairouan is one of Islam’s seven holy cities and its mosque is the oldest in North Africa. Founded in AD 670 and rebuilt after being destroyed in a Berber rebellion, the city’s golden age began when it became the capital of the Aghlabid Dynasty in the 9th Century.

The charming blue, white and green medina is home to a wealth of religious monuments, merchants’ houses and covered souks, including the Sidi Okba (Great) Mosque originally built in the 7th Century. There are several zaouias (complexes surrounding the tomb of a saint) of historical interest, as well as Bir Barouta well, whose waters are believed to be connected to Mecca, the cisterns of the Aghlabid Basins and the Raqqada Islamic Art Museum.

Our preferred hotel in Kairouan is La Kasbah Hotel.