Kairouan, Sacred Islamic city in northern Tunisia
Kairouan is a walled old town in northern Tunisia that has been continuously inhabited since the seventh century. Narrow alleys run between white and ochre houses, and several old gates with carved wooden doors still mark the entrances to the medina.
Arab forces established the settlement in the year 670 as a base for controlling the region. During the Middle Ages the town grew into an important center for Islamic scholarship and attracted students from across the Maghreb.
Residents call this place the fourth holiest city in Islam after Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem, and pilgrims still walk barefoot through certain alleys. Locals gather in tea shops where men play cards and discuss daily affairs while women often shop in covered souks lined with fabric and spice stalls.
Visiting the medina requires comfortable shoes because the alleys are often cobbled unevenly and sometimes steep. Many religious sites ask for modest clothing that covers shoulders and knees, and shoes must be removed before entering some buildings.
The Mosque of the Barber holds the tomb of a companion of the Prophet Muhammad named Abu Zama al-Balawi, and pilgrims touch his grave with their hands to ask for blessings. Some say that seven visits to the city bring as much merit as a pilgrimage to Mecca.
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