🕌 Great Mosque of Kairouan
Tunisia
About This Sacred Site
The Great Mosque of Kairouan (Mosque of Uqba) is the oldest mosque in North Africa and one of the most important in the Islamic world. Founded in 670 CE by the Arab general Uqba ibn Nafi, the mosque served as a model for all subsequent mosques in the Maghreb. Kairouan itself is considered the fourth holiest city in Islam by many Sunni Muslims, after Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem. The mosque is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a masterpiece of Islamic architecture.
Key Facts
- •Founded in 670 CE, making it the oldest mosque in North Africa
- •UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the medina of Kairouan (1988)
- •Seven pilgrimages to Kairouan are traditionally considered equal to one Hajj
- •The mosque's hypostyle prayer hall contains 414 ancient columns
- •Its massive buttressed walls and 31.5-meter minaret are iconic in Islamic architecture
Location
Coordinates: 35.6815, 10.1036
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