Great Mosque of Kairouan

카이루안 대모스크

The Great Mosque of Kairouan, also called the Mosque of Uqba, stands in the old city of Kairouan, Tunisia, which is a UNESCO World Heritage town. It was founded around 670 by the Arab general Uqba ibn Nafi when he founded the city. It is one of the largest Islamic monuments in North Africa and covers more than 9,000 square metres.

See it on the 3D globe →

At a glance

Country: Tunisia
Location: Kairouan, Tunisia
Built: 836
Height: 31.5 m
Type: Religious building

Quick answers

Where is Great Mosque of Kairouan?

Great Mosque of Kairouan is in Kairouan, Tunisia.

When was Great Mosque of Kairouan built?

Great Mosque of Kairouan was built in 836.

How tall is Great Mosque of Kairouan?

Great Mosque of Kairouan is about 31.5 m tall.

Founded in 670, one of North Africa's oldest mosques, known for its massive three-tier square minaret.

It is famous as one of the oldest places of worship in the Islamic world and as a model for later mosques in the Maghreb, the western part of North Africa. Inside its walls are a prayer hall with many columns, a marble-paved courtyard and a massive square minaret. It is also known for the first Islamic use of the horseshoe arch.

Destroyed and rebuilt

Soon after it was built, around 690, the mosque was destroyed when Berbers led by Kusaila occupied Kairouan. The general Hasan ibn al-Nu'man rebuilt it in 703. As the city grew, the Umayyad caliph Hisham ordered it renovated and expanded around 724 to 728. Major works by the Aghlabid rulers about two centuries after its founding, in the 9th century, gave the mosque the look it has today.

A centre of learning

The mosque's fame helped Kairouan grow. Scholars taught inside it, and its university taught Islamic thought and also secular sciences; its role at the time is compared with the University of Paris in the Middle Ages. After the city declined from the mid-11th century, the main centre of learning moved to the Ez-Zitouna University in Tunis. Over time the town spread south, so the mosque, once at the city's centre, now sits in its eastern corner by the walls.

Fun facts

Founded in 670, it is one of the oldest mosques in North Africa.
The mosque's outer wall runs about 405 metres around.
It is credited with the first Islamic use of the horseshoe arch.
Its university once played a role compared with the University of Paris in the Middle Ages.