| Al-Kairouan القيروان, al-Qayrawān | ||
 | ||
| State | Tunisia | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Northern Tunisia | |
| Altitude | 68 m a.s.l. | |
| Surface | 0.68 km² | |
| Inhabitants | 186 653 (2014) | |
| POSTAL CODE | 3100 | |
| Time zone | UTC 1 | |
Position
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| Institutional website | ||
al-Kairouan (in English or French it is called Kairouan) is a city of the Northern Tunisia.
To know
It is a holy city in Islam, ranking fourth after it Mecca, Medina is Jerusalem as a place of pilgrimage. Seven visits here are said to equal one to Mecca. With its large mosques and rich cultural history it has been designated as one of the world heritage of humanity in Tunisia.
How to orient yourself
Al-Kairouan: full screen map.The most interesting area of the city is undoubtedly the 1 medina which is totally pedestrianized. Many parts of it are in ruins, but remarkable houses can still be seen, with blue painted doors, decorated with studded motifs, which stand out against the white plaster walls. At the turn of the streets, you will discover silent squares, vaulted passages, tiled fountains of majolica with geometric patterns and beautiful facades covered with terracotta tiles.
The main street (called avenue 7 November which then becomes avenue Habib Bourguiba which connects the 1 Door of the Martyrs or Bab ech Chouhada (south) to the 2 Gate of Tunis (to the north-west) is quite touristy.
How to get
By plane
- 3 Monastir-Habib Bourguiba Airport (مطار الحبيب بورقيبة الدولي, IATA: MIR) (east of Kairouan, on the coast, about 67 km away).
- 4 Enfida-Hammamet Airport (مطار النفيضة الحمامات الدولي, IATA: NBE) (north of Kairouan, on the coast, about 66 km away).
- 5 Sfax airport (مطار صفاقس طينة الدولي, IATA: SFA) (southeast of Kairouan, on the coast, about 145 km away).
By car
- From Tunis, the fastest route is to take the A1 motorway south towards Enfidha, and from there, the P2 road, towards the southwest.
- From Gabès, on the busy P2 road, to the north.
- From Siliana, subsequently, from roads C73, C46 and C99.
On the train
There is no train station.
By bus
- 6 Bus station. Buses arrive in Kairouan from major cities, Tunis, Sousse (2 hours) e Sfax. Vendors from carpet shops are known to board buses a few kilometers outside the city and befriend tourists to lure them into their businesses.
- The Louages travel from many destinations to Kairouan; these are probably the best and most frequent way to enter the city. It takes 2 hours and 10.25 DT from Tunis (in June 2016). There is no direct public transport between Kairouan and El Jem, you should in fact change to Sousse.
- The bus and louages stations are located north-west of the Medina. Although they could drop you off at the Door of the Medina if requested.
How to get around
The Medina is best explored on foot, partly to soak up the atmosphere and partly because some areas are inaccessible to anything larger.
What see
Medina
The old Medina with its narrow passages and streets is in general a nice place to wander aimlessly. If it sound familiar, it stems from the fact that it was used as a de movie set Raiders of the Lost Ark to simulate Cairo. For those interested in Islamic teachings there are several madrasas, or Islamic schools, in the city center that are open to visitors. Here three communities live together - the Bedouins, the Berbers, the Arabs - you can distinguish the houses next to the doors - with rings to knock on doors, the hands of Fatima or just the Arabic script. The number of rings or hands also indicates the number of families in the same house. The green doors are the mosques.
1 Great Mosque of Kairouan (جامع القيروان الأكبر), Rue de la Kasbah (enter the medina from the west Boulevard. The mosque is immediately on the left). 
12 TND for foreigners (Oct 2019), ticket valid for the Sidi Abada mausoleum, the Rakkada museum, the Aghlabid basins and the Grand mosque. 
From Sep 16 to May 31: 08: 00-14: 00. From 01 Jun to 15 Sep: 07: 30-14: 00. During Ramadan 8: 00-14: 00. One of the best Islamic buildings in North Africa that rewards on closer inspection. Non-Muslims are not allowed in the prayer hall, but the doors are open for you to see inside. Access to the main courtyard is available to everyone. The columns of the whole complex were taken from Carthage, the ceiling is in cedar wood from Lebanon. In the courtyard, there are indentations in the floor with various sizes for camel or dromedary hooves, or human feet, to wash before prayers. On the small platform in the middle of the courtyard, there are also four black pins on a sundial which shows the times of prayer via the shadow of the sun. In front of the prayer room, on one of the left columns there is also a last black pin that marks the night prayer in the moonlight.
12 TND for foreigners (Oct 2019), ticket valid for the Sidi Abada mausoleum, the Rakkada museum, the Aghlabid basins and the Grand mosque. 
From Sep 16 to May 31: 08: 00-14: 00. From 01 Jun to 15 Sep: 07: 30-14: 00. During Ramadan 8: 00-14: 00. One of the best Islamic buildings in North Africa that rewards on closer inspection. Non-Muslims are not allowed in the prayer hall, but the doors are open for you to see inside. Access to the main courtyard is available to everyone. The columns of the whole complex were taken from Carthage, the ceiling is in cedar wood from Lebanon. In the courtyard, there are indentations in the floor with various sizes for camel or dromedary hooves, or human feet, to wash before prayers. On the small platform in the middle of the courtyard, there are also four black pins on a sundial which shows the times of prayer via the shadow of the sun. In front of the prayer room, on one of the left columns there is also a last black pin that marks the night prayer in the moonlight.
- 2 Three Doors Mosque (مسجد ابن خيرون), Avenue de Kortoba. With one of the most beautiful facades in Tunisia, even if the interior is not open. This mosque has a square minaret, crenellated by two arches, surrounded by a polychrome majolica frame. It opens onto the street with three doors, surmounted by arches and a pediment decorated with Arabic inscriptions and floral motifs carved in bas-relief.
- 3 Bi'r Barouta. This is the place where the city was founded, it is allegedly connected to the ZamZam well in Mecca, it is one of the holiest sites in the city for Muslims.
- 4 Governor's House (Maison de Gouveneur), Rue Sidi Abid (100 meters from the Zawiya of Sidi Abid el Ghariani), ☎ 216 77 233068, 216 98946362. The medina home of a local governor, this 18-room house belonged to him and his 4 wives and 21 children. Extremely beautiful and intricate interior, unpretentious on the outside and marked as 'Carpet-Sabra'. Today a carpet shop, it is covered with rugs of all shapes and sizes. The women work on the looms, you can watch and take pictures, (70 DT for a small carpet). The owners are very willing to show the rooms, but obviously they hope for an interest in the merchandise.
- 5 Ansar Mosque (Mosquée Ansar). Traditionally dating back to 667, but completely renovated in 1650.
- 6 Al Bey Mosque. 17th century mosque.
- 7 Walls of the medina. The medina is surrounded by crenellated brick walls with thick buttresses. The doors are surmounted by square towers, crenellated and equipped with domes. They were raised in 762 during the reign of the Abbasid caliph Al-Mansur. Rebuilt around 1054. The current walls date back to the works ordered by the Husseinite kings and were built between 1706 and 1772.
- 8 El-lawlib mosque (Mosquée El-lawlib). Brick mosque dating from the 14th century, topped by a dome, but without a minaret. It was classified as a historic monument on March 3, 1915.
- 9 El Hilali Mosque.
- 10 Sikaya Mosque.
Zawiye
The Zawiye are the place of residence or meeting of the sufi.
- 11 Zawiya by Sidi Abdessalem.
- 12 Zawiya by Sidi Abid el Ghariani (زاوية سيّدي الغارياني), Rue Sidi Abid, ☎ 21677228126. 12 TND for foreigners (Oct 2019), ticket valid for the Sidi Abada mausoleum, the Rakkada museum, the Aghlabid basins and the Grand mosque. From Sep 16 to May 31: 08: 00-15: 00. From 01 Jun to 15 Sep: 8: 00-14: 00. During Ramadan 8: 00-14: 00. This building dates from the 14th century. The zawiya, in addition to being a Sufi religious building and Koranic school, is also the place where the eminent figures of Islam are buried. Above the entrance, a square window is surrounded by majolica tiles and surmounted by a horseshoe arch. Inside, the upper part of the walls is decorated with stucco, while the lower part is covered with polychrome majolica panels, surrounded by friezes with geometric or floral motifs. The panels favor blue and green colors, while yellow predominates in the frames. We find the traditional motif of the Blue Mosque of Istanbul, as well as the vases from which a profusion of stylized flowers springs. We will admire the wooden doors, decorated with studded motifs.
- The inner courtyard is surrounded by a peristyle whose columns support horseshoe arches painted in black and white. On the upper floor, a gallery, also with columns and a beautiful carved wooden balustrade, runs around the courtyard. The ceiling of the peristyle is made of carved and inlaid wood. The mihrab is particularly noteworthy, with its gray-veined marble bottom and stuccoed top.
- 13 Zawiya by Sidi Azzaz.
- 14 Zawiya of El Ouhaichia.
Outside the medina
- 15 Basins of the Aghlabids (Foskiat el Aghalba), Avenue de la République (After leaving the Tunis Gate, continue along the road to the right until you reach the docks. About 20 minutes on foot. I am in front of the Continental Hotel.). 12 TND for foreigners (Oct 2019), ticket valid for the Sidi Abada mausoleum, the Rakkada museum, the Aghlabid basins and the Grand mosque. From Sep 16 to May 31: 08: 00-17: 00. From 01 Jun to 15 Sep: 07: 30-14: 00. During Ramadan 8: 00-14: 00. These cisterns, built by the Aghlabids in the 9th century, are more impressive for their engineering refinement than as attractions. The water was carried from the hills 36 km west of Kairouan into the smaller settlement basin and then into the large main containment basin, which was 5 m deep and 128 m in diameter. In the center of the main pool was a pavilion where rulers could come and relax on summer evenings. When the office is not open, the site still seems open to everyone.
- 16 Barber mosque (Zawiya Sidi Sahab), Avenue de la République. This mosque has a minaret decorated with majolica panels. A first courtyard gives access to the madrasa (Koranic school). Here you can admire the carved and painted wooden ceilings, as well as the stained glass windows set in stuccoed wood. The upper part of the walls is decorated with stucco, while the lower part is covered with polychrome majolica panels. The motifs are geometric compositions, flower pots or representations of the Blue Mosque of Istanbul. The panels are framed by floral friezes, dominated by the blue carnation motif.
- The mosque itself is reached by crossing a patio bordered by a double peristyle with ten gray marble columns, richly decorated with stucco and ceramics. The courtyard of the mosque is flanked by a peristyle with gray marble columns, which supports horseshoe arches. The architraves are sculpted with bas-relief foliage and surmounted by majolica panels, protected by round green glazed tiles. The whole is dominated by a white painted dome.
- 17 Sidi Amor Abbada Museum (Mausolée Sidi Amor Abbada). 12 TND for foreigners (Oct 2019), ticket valid for the Sidi Abada mausoleum, the Rakkada museum, the Aghlabid basins and the Grand mosque. From Sep 16 to Jun 16: 09: 00-16: 00. From 17 Jun to 31 Sep: 08: 00-14: 00. The museum was founded in a zawiya - a mausoleum - built in 1872 and containing the tomb of Amor Abada, better known as Sidi Abada. Today the museum contains the objects of Sidi Abada.
- 18 Awlad Fahran Cemetery (between the rue de la Kasbah and the avenue Moez ibn Badis). A typical Islamic cemetery.
- 19 Al Malek Mosque.
- El Aouania Mosque.
Events and parties
What to do
- Sit back and enjoy tea in a traditional tea house if the heat gets a little excessive.
- Walk around the city and appreciate the intricate arabesques.
Shopping
Many of the shops near the main mosque will tempt you, people expect that if you browse the shop even if you don't buy a small donation would be welcome.
The city is particularly famous for its carpets, and visiting a shop is an integral and sometimes unexpected part of the city experience. The carpets are classified according to their fineness and the number of knots in one square meter, with a normal weave from 10,000 to 40,000, a fine weave from 65,000 to 90,000 and extra from 160,000 to 500,000. Silk rugs can exceed 500,000 knots per square meter.
- 1 Market. Fruit and vegetable market.
How to have fun
Where to eat
A specialty of Kairouan is the makrouhd made of sticky dough, which can be found all over Tunisia with dates, sesame and honey. You can tell most of the shops how much you are willing to spend and they will give you a box of pastries - you can mix and match with others!
During Ramadan, it is impossible to find a restaurant that is open during the day.
Where stay
Lots of small hotels scattered all over the city, without much online presence.
Moderate prices
- 1 Tunisia hotels, Av. De la Republique, ☎ 216 20 249 128.
Average prices
- 2 Hotel Amina, Avenue des Nations-unies (at the intersection of Avenue de la République and El Imam Sohnoun Avenue, take north-east towards Carrefour du Tapis. The hotel is located on the right, approximately 500m further on), ☎ 216 77 274 555, @[email protected]. 50 TND. An ordinary hotel, a little out of the way. Avoid paying by credit card, the terminal has the annoying tendency to register the payment several times.
- 3 Continental Hotel (Facing the Aghabi basins, a little further from the city (10-15 minutes walk from Medina)), ☎ 216 77 231 440. 67 DT for one person, 72 with dinner (June 2016).
- 4 Splendid hotel, Rue 9 Avril (5 minutes walk from the Martyrs' Gate, which is on one of the main streets of the Medina, so definitely a good location), ☎ 216 77 227 522. 37 DT for one person, but certainly negotiable (30 DT was offered in June 2016).. Very friendly reception 24/7. For the price, faultless (expect broken bulbs, similar - but the AC works and there is hot water.
Safety
How to keep in touch
Around
- 20 Raqqada Museum of Islamic Art (Musée des Arts Islamiques de Rakkada) (located about ten kilometers southwest of Kairouan). 5 DT (Oct 2019). Tue-Sun, from Sep 16 to May 31: 09: 00-16: 00. From 01 Jun to 15 Sep: 08: 00-14: 00. During Ramadan 8: 00-14: 00. Raqqāda is the site of the second capital of the 9th century Aghlabid dynasty. The site now houses the National Museum of Islamic Art. Specialized in medieval Islamic art and includes works by Kairouan, Raqqada and Al-Mansuriya, an ancient princely city built in the Fatimid period.
- 21 Sebkhet de Sidi El Hani (accessible from the RN 12 and RR 87 roads). The sebkhet of Sidi El Hani is a chott, a temporary salt lake, bordered by olive groves.
- 22 Sebkha Kelbia. A periodic lake which is also a protected natural site.
- Sousse
- Sfax
- Ain Draham - The mountains of Kroumirie.
- Djebel El Keshim
- Thugga - Very well preserved Roman city.
- Jendouba
- Siliana
Useful information
- 7 Regional Tourist Information Office, Rue Mohammed Hilloui, ☎ 216 77 231 897. Mon-Fri 8: 00-18: 00.
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Al-Kairouan
Commons contains images or other files on Al-Kairouan
