Kairouan, Tunisia
Friendship is honey, but don’t eat it all.
—Moroccan proverb
The Great Mosque of Kairouan, built around A.D. 670 and rebuilt around 863, is the fourth holiest site of Islam and the oldest in Africa. The fortress-like mosque is constructed of dressed stone bricks. The interior’s marble columns, stone floor, pyramid-shaped chandeliers, tiled mihrab (a niche that indicates the direction of Mecca), and carved teak pulpit were created with ninth-century materials from Mesopotamia. Porticos created with recycled Roman and Byzantine pillars frame the marble slab courtyard. The north portico houses the oldest minaret in Maghreb, and the current minaret is a massive square-based tower with three stories of diminishing size.
Whether you wish to ask Allah for wisdom regarding an uneasy relationship or to see an ancient Islamic site where the muezzin continues to call the faithful to adhān (prayer), visit the Great Mosque of Kairouan, located in the city’s historic district, Medina. The mosque is an easy day trip by car or bus from Monastir or Sousse, but a guided local or packaged coach tour is best. Caftans are available if you come improperly attired. Remove your shoes and perform the ritual ablution. Non-Muslims may look inside the prayer hall but may not enter.
Pray for a healing or a blessing. Show your gratitude by leaving an offering of food for the poor.
Some Muslims believe that making seven pilgrimages to the Great Mosque at Kairouan is the equivalent of a hajj (annual pilgrimage) to Mecca.