Great Mosque of Kairouan
One of the oldest and largest mosques in North Africa.
The Great Mosque of Kairouan, also known as the Mosque of Uqba, is located in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Kairouan, Tunisia, and is one of the largest Islamic monuments in North Africa. Established by the Arab general Uqba ibn Nafi at the city’s founding, the mosque is among the oldest places of worship in the Islamic world and served as a model for all later mosques in the Maghreb. Its perimeter encloses a hypostyle prayer hall, a marble-paved courtyard, and a square minaret. The mosque is a masterpiece of Islamic architecture, notable for the first Islamic use of the horseshoe arch. Extensive works under the Aghlabid dynasty in the 9th century gave the mosque its present appearance. The mosque originally stood at the center of the medina but now lies in the easternmost quarter, abutting the city walls, due to urban development shifting southward and the decline caused by Hilalian invasions in the mid-11th century. The mosque’s university, where scholars taught Islamic thought and secular sciences, was a major educational center comparable to the University of Paris in the Middle Ages; its intellectual role later moved to the University of Ez-Zitouna in Tunis as Kairouan declined. The mosque was destroyed around 690 by Berber forces under Kusaila, rebuilt in 703, and expanded under Umayyad and Abbasid governors. The Aghlabid emir Ziyadat Allah I reconstructed the mosque in 836, establishing its current form, including the ribbed dome over the mihrab. Later emirs added bays and galleries. Partial restorations occurred under the Zirids, Hafsids, and Muradids, with major restoration completed in 1972. Medieval Arab historians like Al-Bakri and Al-Nuwayri documented the mosque’s history and embellishments.
- founder
- Uqba ibn Nafi
- location
- Kairouan, Tunisia
- key feature
- first Islamic use of the horseshoe arch
- current form
- largely from Aghlabid works in the 9th century CE
Lore & Background
The Great Mosque of Kairouan, also called the Mosque of Uqba, is located in the northeastern part of the medina of Kairouan, Tunisia, within a district known as Houmat al-Jami. Originally built at the city’s center in 670, the mosque now sits near the eastern city walls due to later urban shifts and invasions. Its perimeter encloses a hypostyle prayer hall, a marble-paved courtyard, and a square minaret. The mosque is one of the largest Islamic monuments in North Africa and stands as a model for later mosques in the Maghreb. It is notable for being among the oldest places of worship in the Islamic world and for featuring one of the first uses of the horseshoe arch in Islamic architecture. The building’s present form largely dates to the 9th century under the Aghlabid dynasty, when extensive works gave it its current aspect. During this period, a ribbed dome was raised over the mihrab, and later emirs added bays to the oratory and a cupola over the arched portico. The mosque also housed a university of scholars that was a major center for both Islamic thought and secular sciences, comparable to the University of Paris in its time.
Reader's Guide
The Great Mosque of Kairouan holds immense significance as a model for later mosques in the Maghreb and as a center of education. Its university, with scholars teaching in the mosque, was a hub for Islamic thought and secular sciences, comparable to the University of Paris in the Middle Ages. The mosque's architecture, including its hypostyle prayer hall, marble-paved courtyard, and square minaret, influenced later Islamic buildings. Its fame and that of other holy sites in Kairouan helped the city develop and expand. With the city's decline from the mid-11th century, intellectual activity moved to the University of Ez-Zitouna in Tunis. The mosque remains a key monument of Islamic architecture, with its fortress-like enclosure, nine gates, and numerous columns admired by later travelers.
Did You Know?
- The mosque's minaret is considered a masterpiece and model among the most prestigious monuments of Muslim architecture.
- The mosque's university was compared to the University of Paris in the Middle Ages.
- The mosque features the first Islamic use of the horseshoe arch.
More in Notable Buildings And Monuments 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record