The minaret appears first as very simple, but a closer look will reveal some interesting details. Kairouan is regarded as a very holy city by Muslims and the Sidi Oqba Mosque is the first mosque built in Africa and is regarded as being the fourth most important mosque in Islam after the great mosques in Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. Book making b. Tilework ... Quizlet Live. In its present state, the monument dates from the 17th century.[32]. From Kairouan envoys from Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire returned with glowing reports of the Aghlabites palaces, libraries and gardens – and from the crippling taxation imposed to pay for their drunkenness and sundry debaucheries. Okba Ben Nafi is credited with converting Kairouan to Islam and founding its Great Mosque in 670. From atop you really see that the first impression of the mosque as a fortress is not accidental. Discover Great Mosque of Kairouan in Kairouan, Tunisia: Founded in 670, this ancient mosque is an architectural time portal. [citation needed], Jews were among the original settlers of Kairouan, and the community played an important role in Jewish history, having been a world center of Talmudic and Halakhic scholarship for at least three generations.[13]. Although the introduction of the 1956 Code of Personal Status rendered the tradition obsolete by outlawing polygamy nationwide, some scholars have identified it as a "positive tradition for women within the large framework of Islamic law. Great Mosque of Kairouan November 13, 2014 Waqar ul Aziz Africa, Postclassical Era (500 – 1500) No Comments The Great Mosque of Kairouan, also known as the Mosque of Uqba is one of the most important mosques in Tunisia, situated in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Kairouan Which is totally wrong! Shopping quarters of Kairouan are really just centred to the Avenue 7 Novembre and adjacent streets. But in fact, it is a question of 4 wellheads, looking like the base of Roman columns, a drain and a minbar-like sundial. It is clear that the use of lights are quite deliberate to make surroundings attractive. [27] Founded by Arab general Uqba Ibn Nafi in 670 CE, the present aspect of the mosque dates from the 9th century. They can be seen half way down the eastern walls. The eastern-most pools, which are the least attractive and also considerably smaller. The history of Kairouan’s city walls date back to 761, but have been destroyed and rebuilt numerous times. [28] The Great Mosque of Sidi-Uqba has a great historical importance as the ancestor of all the mosques in the western Islamic world.[29]. A city grew quickly up, and around 800, Kairouan became the capital of the Aghlabid dynasty. Google Classroom Facebook Twitter. Although it has been destroyed a couple of times, then rebuilt, today’ structure rests much upon the original mosque. The first mosques erected in early Muslim time did not have minarets – the believers were called to prayer by the muezzin standing on the mosque roof. Kairouan is defined as the holiest city of Tunisia, being the oldest Islamic settlement, having the oldest mosque in North Africa and the world’s oldest minaret. The two top photos show how it at first was built with bits and pieces from older structures. However modest the Bi’ Barouta is – entrance through a small carpet shop and an interior no more spectacular than a middle-class family’s courtyard – it is the historical focal point of Kairouan. Kairouan is also known for the Mosque of the Three Gates, which was founded in 866. Look out for the many religious buildings, most can easily be located by their domes. And the Menema comes “highly recommended!”, despite being dull, overpriced and with a bad location. Woodwork details can be quite excellent many places, too, but in general it is the simplicity that really makes Kairouan so nice. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Governing again from Kairouan, the Zirids led the country through another artistic, commercial and agricultural heyday. There are two legends: The first tells that the Muslim conqueror Oqba bin Nafi put his stick into the ground right here, and out came water. You'll find yourself in an expansive space with an arched colonnade running all … Things were much cleaner before the tourist centre was opened. I left Bizerte feeling that Tabarka would be miles away (much like Tunis…, Mahdia is a place that I have been looking forward to visiting for some time. The Mosque of Uqba also known as the Great Mosque of Kairouan, is an early example of a hypostyle mosque that also reflects how pre-Islamic and eastern Islamic art and motifs were incorporated into the religious Step inside the marble-paved courtyard, though, and it's a different story. The oldest surviving parts date back to the 18th century, as do the oldest gate. The understanding of their quality and design is very a much a question of preference, but one rule applies all over: Buy only what you like for yourself, and do not be convinced that this is an investment of any sort. Beaches. Sidi el Ghariani relates to the governor family of Kairouan from the 15th until at least late 19th century, which originated in the Libyan town of Gharyan. Leaning walls would have made it very easy to defend to aggressors. Night life in Kairouan is travel oriented: Many people pass through Kairouan during night, and demand a place to eat and drink soda water or coffee. Along the route between the shopping quarters and the Great Mosque, there are some important religious buildings. These invaders so utterly destroyed Kairouan in 1057 that it never regained its former importance and their influx was a major factor in the spread of nomadism in areas where agriculture had previously been dominant. 2 Fikri, A. The Great Mosque of Kairouan dates back to 670 CE and was built by the command of Arab Muslim general Oqba bin Nafi. In 1881, Kairouan was taken by the French, after which non-Muslims were allowed access to the city. Everything from basic to 4 star. From the outside it really looks huge, from the inside you will start looking for that large room or courtyard, but all you find are small rooms and courtyards. The early mosques are believed to be inspired by Muhammad’s home in Medina, which was the first mosque. The Islamic mosque has historically been both a place of prayer and a community meeting space. The mosque dates back to the 9th century, a period from which there is little else in Kairouan. Shortly thereafter, Kairouan became the religious center and capital of Tunisia. It must have been with great awe that the Muslims of the early centuries of North African Islam entered this vast hall, some 70 times 40 metres. When the Zirids declared their independence from Cairo and their conversion to Sunni Islam in 1045 by giving allegiance to Baghdad, the Fatimid Caliph Ma'ad al-Mustansir Billah sent as punishment hordes of troublesome Arab tribes (Banu Hilal and Banu Sulaym) to invade Ifriqiya. The largest pool is 128 in diametre and 5 metres deep. Forget all that, though, and try to get a touch of the history behind the pools. The tomb inside is suprisingly not the one of Sidi el Ghariani, but the 16th century Hafsid sultan Moulay Hassan. The Aghlabites built the great mosque and established in it a university that was a centre of education both in Islamic thought and in the secular sciences. after the glorious days of Carthage. Great Mosque of Damascus, the earliest surviving stone mosque, built between 705 and 715 CE by the Umayyad Caliph al-Walid I. The Great Mosque of Kairouan, also known as the Mosque of Uqba, is a mosque situated in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Kairouan, Tunisia and is one of the most impressive and largest Islamic monuments in North Africa.Established by the Arab general Uqba ibn Nafi in the year 50 AH at the founding of the city of Kairouan, the mosque occupies an area of over 9,000 square metres. Impressive building. How hot Kairouan can be may be illustrated with the accommodation section in Lonely Planet. During the rule of the Fatimids, Kairouan was neglected and lost its importance: the new rulers resided first in Raqqada but soon moved their capital to the newly built Al Mahdiyah on the coast of modern Tunisia. [22], In memory of Sufi saints, Sufi festivals are held in the city. Power struggles continued until Ibrahim ibn al-Aghlab recaptured Kairouan at the end of the 8th century. Kairouan is about 160 kilometres south of Tunis and was founded by the Arabs in around 670 AD. Kharijites or Islamic "outsiders" who formed an egalitarian and puritanical sect appeared and are still present on the island of Djerba. The Great Mosque of Kairouan, also known as the Mosque of Uqba, is one of the most important mosques in Tunisia, situated in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Kairouan. zlebia and makroudh). The Mosque of the Three Gates was founded in 866. Kairouan, one of the most celebrated cities of the Islamic world, captivates visitors with the unique charm of its medina. The mosque stands as a masterpiece of Islamic architecture containing arched doors surmounted by Kufic inscrip­tions as well as floral and geometric decorations. The Great Mosque of Kairouan was a public structure, set along roads that served a city with a vibrant commercial, educational, and religious life. According to scholars, the minaret was not part of the architecture of mosques during the early Islamic period. The columns were of Roman and Byzantine origin, and brough here from as far away as Carthage and Hadrumetum (Sousse). "[25], The city's main attraction is the Great Mosque of Sidi-Uqba, which is said to largely consist of its original building materials. [7][8][9] In Berber, the city used to be called Tikirwan تيكيروان,[10] thought to be an adaptation of the Arabic name. During this period, the Great Mosque of Kairouan was both a place of prayer and a center for teaching Islamic sciences under the Maliki current. This vast space contains a hypostyle prayer hall, a huge marble-paved courtyard and a massive square minaret. It was founded by Kairoun al-Maafri, a holy man of Cordoba. It is only under the Husainid Dynasty that Kairouan started to find an honorable place in the country and throughout the Islamic world. But at least here my camera’s (not-so-) wide angle managed get it all into one photo. It is also called Mosque of the Barber, as he was known for always carrying with him 3 hairs of Muhammad. It looks like a fortress from the outside, but its inside features the hypostyle style courtyard planning. [24], In addition to studies on the deepening of religious thought and Maliki jurisprudence, the mosque also hosted various courses in secular subjects such as mathematics, astronomy, medicine and botany. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. This is said to be source of the Bi’ Barouta, Kairouan’ most popular attraction among Muslims. Boujaffar Beach It's lined with resort hotels, but everyone's welcome on … 3 Creswell, K.A.C. They come out calling Hotel Splendid run down and with a “surly staff”. Still, the columns of the prayer hall are even older, having been taken from Roman and Byzantine structures in Carthage and Hadrumetum (Sousse). The oldest gate of the city walls, the Bab al-Khoukha, which dates back to 1706. Around 690, shortly after its construction, the mosque was destroyed during the occupation of Kairouan by the Berbers, originally conducted by Kusaila. Djenné, once a thriving town in Mali, is known for its Great Mosque, Sudanese-style mud-brick architecture. Start studying VIAR 120- Chapter 19: The Islamic World. Its façade is a notable example of Islamic architecture. In the 13th century under the prosperous Hafsids dynasty that ruled Ifriqiya, the city started to emerge from its ruins. 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