World Heritage Identification Number: 499
World Heritage since: 1988
Category: Cultural Heritage
WHE Type: Historic Cities & Urban Areas
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇹🇳 Tunisia
Continent: Africa
UNESCO World Region: Arab States
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Kairouan: The Ancient Holy City of Tunisia
Kairouan (Arabic: القيروان, Al-Qayrawān), officially known as Nour Essaf (Arabic: نور الصف, meaning "Light of the Row"), is a historic city located in central Tunisia, serving as the capital of the Kairouan Governorate. Established in 670 AD during the reign of Caliph Mu'awiya I, Kairouan has been a significant center for Sunni Islamic scholarship and Quranic learning since its founding, attracting Muslims from across the globe. In recognition of its historical and cultural significance, Kairouan was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Founded in 670, Kairouan flourished under the Aghlabid dynasty in the 9th century. Despite the transfer of the political capital to Tunis in the 12th century, Kairouan remained the Maghreb's principal holy city. Its rich architectural heritage includes the Great Mosque, with its marble and porphyry columns, and the 9th-century Mosque of the Three Gates.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (i): The Great Mosque, rebuilt in the 9th century, is not only one of the major monuments of Islam but also a universal architectural masterpiece. The many but small changes in it have not altered the layout of this place of prayer, which forms a quadrilateral of 135 m by 80 m. At its southern end is a hypostyle prayer room with 17 naves supported by a « forest » of columns in marble and porphyry. On the north is a vast flagstone courtyard bordered with porticoes, interrupted in the middle of the smaller northern end by the massive square-shaped three-storey minaret.
Criterion (ii): The Great Mosque served as a model for several Maghreban mosques, particularly for its decorative motifs, which are unique. Moreover, the Mosque of the Three Doors, built in 866 AD, is the oldest known Islamic mosque with a sculpted facade.
Criterion (iii): With the Great Mosque, the Mosque of the Three Doors, and the Basin of the Aghlabids, not to mention the numerous archaeological vestiges, Kairouan bears exceptional witness to the civilisation of the first centuries of the Hegira in Ifrîqiya.
Criterion (v): Protected by its walls and gates (Bab et Tounes, Bab el Khoukha, Bab ech Chouhada), the medina of Kairouan, whose skyline is punctuated by the minarets and the cupolas of its mosques and zawiyas, has preserved its network of winding streets and courtyard houses. Very few small windows or arched doorways are cut in the exterior walls, but inner walls have larger openings that give onto the central courtyard. This traditional architecture, having become vulnerable through the impact of socio-economic changes, constitutes a valuable heritage which must be protected in its entirety.
Criterion (vi): Kairouan is one of the holy cities and spiritual capitals of Islam. Next to the Great Mosque, the first place of worship founded in the Maghreb only 38 years after the death of the Prophet, is the Zawiya of Sidi Sahâb where the remains of Abu Djama, one of Mahomet’s companions, are kept. It is not surprising that in the past, seven pilgrimages to Kairouan could take the place of the one pilgrimage to Mecca prescribed for all Muslims.
Encyclopedia Record: Kairouan
Kairouan, also spelled El Qayrawān or Kairwan, is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was founded by the Umayyads around 670, in the period of Caliph Mu'awiya ; this is when it became an important centre for Sunni Islamic scholarship and Quranic learning, attracting Muslims from various parts of the world. The Mosque of Uqba is situated in the city.Additional Site Details
Area: 68.02 hectares
Number of Components: 4
(ii) — Significant interchange of human values
(iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition
(v) — Outstanding example of traditional human settlement
(vi) — Directly associated with events or living traditions
Coordinates: 35.68167 , 10.10389
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Unknown author, Public domain
World Heritage Research
Discover scientific research and academic studies that deepen our understanding of Kairouan from its history and significance to its conservation, management, and contemporary challenges.
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Applying Multivariate Analysis and Machine Learning Approaches to Evaluating Groundwater Quality on the Kairouan Plain, Tunisia
Groundwater on the Kairouan Plain, Tunisia, exhibits diverse chemical characteristics primarily influenced by water–rock interaction, dolomite dissolution, evaporation, and ion exchange. Analysis revealed three distinct water types: Ca-Mg-SO4, Na-Cl, and mixed Ca-Mg-Cl/SO4, with ions following the order Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+ and SO42− > HCO3− > Cl−. While most groundwater is suitable for agriculture, irrigation water quality indices (IWQIs) indicate high-to-severe restrictions in some areas. Machine learning models, particularly ANN-HyC-9 and XGBoost regression, demonstrated high accuracy in predicting IWQIs, with R² values exceeding 0.823 for testing datasets. These findings provide critical insights for sustainable water resource management.
Salem, S., Gaagai, A., Ben Slimene, I., Moussa, A., Zouari, K., Yadav, K., Eid, M., Abukhadra, M., El-Sherbeeny, A., Gad, M., Farouk, M., Elsherbiny, O., Elsayed, S., Bellucci, S., & Ibrahim, H. (2023). Applying Multivariate Analysis and Machine Learning Approaches to Evaluating Groundwater Quality on the Kairouan Plain, Tunisia. Water, 15(19), 3495. https://doi.org/10.3390/w15193495
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Monitoring Irrigation Consumption Using High Resolution NDVI Image Time Series: Calibration and Validation in the Kairouan Plain (Tunisia)
A novel approach using high-resolution NDVI image time series significantly improves the monitoring of irrigation consumption, offering unprecedented accuracy for water balance assessments in semi-arid agricultural regions. The study, conducted in Kairouan, Tunisia, leveraged the SAMIR software and FAO-56 dual crop coefficient model to estimate evapotranspiration and irrigation volumes with high precision. By normalizing SPOT5 time series data against a SPOT4 reference, researchers generated NDVI profiles that enabled robust calibration and validation at both plot and perimeter scales. Results demonstrated an average Nash efficiency of 0.57 for modeled versus observed evapotranspiration in barley and wheat plots, while aggregated irrigation volumes closely matched observed values (135 mm vs. 121 mm). This method holds promise for refining water resource management in semi-arid landscapes, though further improvements at finer timescales are needed.
Saadi, S., Simonneaux, V., Boulet, G., Raimbault, B., Mougenot, B., Fanise, P., Ayari, H., & Lili-Chabaane, Z. (2015). Monitoring Irrigation Consumption Using High Resolution NDVI Image Time Series: Calibration and Validation in the Kairouan Plain (Tunisia). Remote Sensing, 7(10), 13005–13028. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs71013005
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Relationship between soil moisture and vegetation in the Kairouan plain region of Tunisia using low spatial resolution satellite data
A strong correlation exists between soil moisture and vegetation dynamics in the Kairouan plain, Tunisia. Researchers developed a semiempirical model using low-resolution satellite data (1991–2006) to predict normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values based on soil moisture profiles from prior months during the rainy season (October–May). Validated against rainfall events and Global Soil Wetness Project data, this approach offers a simple yet effective tool for modeling vegetation in semiarid regions. The study highlights how satellite-derived moisture data can serve as a reliable indicator of vegetation development, advancing our understanding of water-vegetation interactions in arid ecosystems.
Zribi, M., Paris Anguela, T., Duchemin, B., Lili, Z., Wagner, W., Hasenauer, S., & Chehbouni, A. (2010). Relationship between soil moisture and vegetation in the Kairouan plain region of Tunisia using low spatial resolution satellite data. Water Resources Research, 46(6). Portico. https://doi.org/10.1029/2009wr008196
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