Nº01
Great Mosque of Uqba
Founded in 670 CE, the oldest mosque in the Maghreb and the architectural blueprint of Western Islam.
Kairouan Governorate
Islam's fourth holy city, Aghlabid jewel of the Maghreb
601K pop.6 712 km²156 km from TunisNearest airport: Aéroport international d'Enfidha-Hammamet (NBE) (61 km)
Founded in 670 CE by Uqba ibn Nafi, Kairouan is the fourth holiest city of Islam and served as the capital of the Aghlabid dynasty in the 9th century. Its medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, shelters the Great Mosque of Uqba — the oldest in the Maghreb — alongside the celebrated Aghlabid basins and the Zaouia of Sidi Sahbi. The city is world-renowned for its hand-knotted carpets and for makroudh, the signature date-filled semolina pastry. Lying in the inland heart of Tunisia, about 156 km south of Tunis, Kairouan makes an ideal base for exploring the country's central interior from the coastal resorts of the Sahel.
What It's Known For
The signatures that make Kairouan unmistakable
Nº02
UNESCO-listed medina
Inscribed on the World Heritage list in 1988, the medina preserves intact ramparts, souks and Aghlabid palaces.
Nº03
Capital of Tunisian carpets
Kairouan is the cradle of the Tunisian knotted carpet, whose geometric patterns are recognised worldwide.
Nº04
The iconic makroudh
Diamond-shaped semolina parcels stuffed with dates and steeped in honey, Kairouan's pastry pride since Aghlabid times.
Must-See Landmarks
Explore the treasures that make Kairouan unforgettable
Nº01
Great Mosque of Uqba (Mosque of Sidi Uqba)
Founded in 670 CE by Uqba ibn Nafi and rebuilt by the Aghlabids in the 9th century, it is the oldest mosque in the Maghreb and a UNESCO-listed masterpiece of Islamic architecture.
Daily 8:00–14:00; closed during Friday prayersIncluded in the combined Kairouan ticket (~12 TND); courtyard open to non-Muslims, modest dress required
Nº02
Medina of Kairouan
Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1988, the walled medina unfolds its souks, fondouks and traditional houses around the Great Mosque.
Nº03
Mosque of the Three Doors
Built in 866 CE by Muhammad Ibn Khairun al-Andalusi, it bears the oldest sculpted façade in Islamic architecture, decorated with Kufic inscriptions and floral motifs.
Façade freely viewable from the street; interior reserved for Muslims
Nº04
Zaouia of Sidi Sahbi (Mosque of the Barber)
A 17th-century Muradid complex housing the tomb of Abu Zama'a al-Balawi, companion of the Prophet, renowned for its polychrome tilework and carved stucco.
8:00–18:00 (from 7:30 in summer); earlier closing on Friday/SaturdayIncluded in the combined Kairouan ticket
Nº05
Aghlabid Basins
Built between 860 and 862 CE under emir Abu Ibrahim Ahmad, these two polygonal reservoirs — the larger 128 m across — are a pinnacle of medieval Islamic hydraulic engineering.
Included in the combined ticket; panoramic view from the tourist office terrace
Nº06
Bir Barouta
A 17th-century domed building enclosing an 8th-century well whose water, traditionally raised by a camel-powered wheel, is said to be linked to the Zamzam well in Mecca.
Medina souk hours; closed on Fridays
Nº07
Raqqada National Museum of Islamic Art
Set in a former presidential palace 10 km south of Kairouan, the museum displays Aghlabid ceramics, coins and manuscripts, including folios of the famed Blue Qur'an.
Local flavors
Local Specialties
Traditional dishes you must try
01Local flavors
Makroudh
Diamond-shaped semolina pastry filled with date paste and orange-blossom water, fried then soaked in honey — Kairouan's signature sweet since Aghlabid times.
02Local flavors
Kafteji
A medley of fried vegetables — peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes and chillies — finely chopped on the board and topped with an egg, a staple of Kairouan's lunch counters.
03Local flavors
Tabouna bread
Round, golden loaf baked against the clay walls of a tabouna oven, with a soft crumb and smoky crust — the everyday bread served alongside briks, lablabi and tajines in Kairouan.
Where to eat
Recommended Restaurants
From fine dining to local favorites
€€
Top recommended
Dar Abderrahman Zarrouk
Restored traditional house in the heart of the medina, prized for its lamb couscous, briks and heritage setting.
€€
Editor's pick
El Brija Restaurant
Perched on the ramparts near the Great Mosque, this tourist favourite serves fish couscous and briks from a panoramic terrace.
Must-try:Fish couscous
€€
Editor's pick
Nakcha Restaurant
Contemporary venue on Avenue Abi Zamaa El Balaoui serving grills and Mediterranean fare in a polished setting with terrace.
Watch
See Kairouan in motion
A glimpse of what awaits you on the ground
Getting Around
How to reach the governorate and move around once there
Reaching the governorate
From Tunis
Train
No direct rail service: SNCFT does not serve Kairouan, which lies off all currently operated passenger lines.
Bus
Regular departures (roughly hourly) from Bab Alioua coach station in Tunis; journey takes 2 to 2.5 hours and costs about 13–15 TND one-way.
View scheduleCar
Fastest route: A1 motorway southbound, exit at Enfidha or M'Saken, then RN2 highway westwards to Kairouan; tolls about 5–8 TND.
Once you're there
Local Transport
City taxi
3 – 6 TND in town (metered)Yellow metered taxis: flag fall 0.7–1 TND then around 0.8 TND per km; in-town fares typically 3–6 TND.
Louage (shared intercity minibus)
Tunis ~10 TND, Sousse ~5 TNDShared louage minibuses run from the main station to Tunis (~10 TND), Sousse (~5 TND), Sfax, Sbeitla and Kasserine; they leave once full.
Walking
FreeThe walled medina is best explored on foot: most major monuments lie within a fifteen-minute walk of each other.