Kairouan

Introduction

Kairouan, also spelled Kairwan or El Qayrawān, is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded by the Umayyads around 670 during the period of Caliph Mu'awiya, it grew into an important centre for Sunni Islamic scholarship and Quranic learning, drawing Muslims from various parts of the world.

The Mosque of Uqba stands in the city, and the city's standing as a place of religious learning is the thread that ties its history together for a visitor.

Getting there

Kairouan has no train line, so you'll arrive by road. Buses connect the city with Tunis, Sousse (about two hours) and Sfax, while louages — shared minivans — run in from many destinations and are probably the best and most frequent way into the city. Note that there is no direct public transport between Kairouan and El Jem; you would need to change in Sousse.

• Buses serve Tunis, Sousse and Sfax.
• Louages are the most frequent option and reach Kairouan from many destinations.
• For El Jem, change in Sousse — no direct service exists.

Be aware that touts from the carpet shops have been known to board the bus a few kilometres outside the city and befriend tourists to lure them into their shops. The stations for both buses and louages sit to the northwest of the Medina, though you may well be dropped off at a Medina gate if you ask.

Getting around

The Medina is small enough to cover on foot, and walking is the only way to reach some of it, since certain areas are inaccessible to anything larger than a person. Use the main street linking the Gate of Martyrs in the south to the Gate of Tunis in the northwest as your spine; it is the most touristic stretch. Near the main mosque, shops will draw you in with views over the complex, and the usual etiquette applies: look around on your way out, and leave a small donation if you buy nothing.

• For the outlying sights, including the mosques beyond the Medina and the carpet quarter, take a taxi or summon a car through Bolt.
• Kairouan has no rail, metro or tram service, so all arrivals are by road.
• Buses connect the city with Tunis, Sousse and Sfax, but be wary of carpet-shop touts who board a few kilometres out and befriend tourists to lure them into their shops.
• Louages, the shared taxis, are the best and most frequent way in and run from many destinations, including Tunis and Sousse.
• The bus and louage stations sit northwest of the Medina; drivers may drop you at a Medina gate if you ask.
• There is no direct public transport to El Jem; change in Sousse.
• Kairouan has no airport, so you will arrive via Tunis or Sousse and continue overland.

Where to stay

Kairouan has plenty of small hotels scattered around town, many of them with little or no online presence, so it pays to look around on arrival rather than booking everything in advance. For a budget option, Hotel Tunisia on Avenue de la Republique is a straightforward choice. Among mid-range places, Hotel Splendid on Rue 9 Avril has a strong position about five minutes' walk from the Porte des Martyrs, one of the main gateways into the Medina, and its reception is friendly and staffed around the clock; expect a few rough edges such as the odd broken lightbulb, but the air conditioning and hot water work.

Hotel Continental sits opposite the Aghabite basins, a little further out from the centre, with a 10- to 15-minute walk into the Medina. Hôtel Amina on Route de Tunis is another mid-range option. Wherever you stay, rates at the simpler places are often negotiable, so it is worth asking.

Food & drink

Kairouan has its own sweet speciality: makrouhd, a sticky pastry made with dates, sesame and honey. Though you'll find it all over Tunisia, it's worth seeking out here. At most pastry shops you can simply say how much you want to spend and you'll be handed a box, so you can mix and match makrouhd with other pastries to fill it.

For something to drink, head for the tea houses along the road leading from the Main Gate into the centre of the city.

What to see and do

Start by wandering the old Medina, where narrow passageways and streets reward aimless strolling; the lanes may look familiar because they doubled as Cairo in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Several madrasas in the centre of town are open to visitors if you're interested in Islamic teachings. The city's three communities — Bedouins, Berbers and Arabs — can be told apart by their doors: ring doorknockers, the hands of Fatimas, or Arabic script, with the number of rings or hands denoting how many families share the house. Green doors mark mosques.

The Great Mosque of Kairouan is one of the finest Islamic buildings in North Africa and rewards closer inspection: non-Muslims cannot enter the prayer hall, but the doors are left open so you can view inside, and the main courtyard is open to all. Its columns were taken from Carthage and its wooden ceiling is Lebanese cedar; in the courtyard you'll find indents for washing before prayers and a platform with black pins that tell the prayer times by the sun. The Mosque of the Three Doors has one of the finest façades in Tunisia, though the interior is not open. At Bi'r Barouta, the well where the city was founded and reputedly linked to the ZamZam well in Mecca, a camel drives the pump and a small café inside serves coffee and tea. The Maison de Gouveneur, a medina house signposted as 'Tapis-Sabra', is now a carpet shop covered with carpets, where women work at looms you can watch and photograph. The Aghlabid Basins, 9th-century cisterns fed by an aqueduct from the hills, impress more for their engineering than as sights; many visitors just peek from the rooftop of the nearby syndicat d'initiative. Also worth seeking out are the Zaouia of Sidi Abid el-Ghariani, a former Koranic school with mosaics and a cedar ceiling, and the Sidi Amor Abada Museum, set in a zawiya containing the tomb of Sidi Abada. Further afield, about ten kilometres southwest, Raqqada houses the National Museum of Islamic Art, specialising in medieval Islamic art. When the heat grows too much, sit and enjoy a tea in a traditional tea house, and walk the town to appreciate its intricate designs.

When to go

Kairouan has a hot semi-arid climate, so you can expect a generally dry year that ranges from warm to hot. The year divides into a hotter, drier stretch and a cooler, somewhat wetter one, and that split should shape when you plan your visit.

In the hot season you'll face strong sun and little rain, so plan your sightseeing early in the day and keep the afternoons light. The cool season brings the most comfortable conditions for walking the medina and the monuments, though some rain is possible, so pack accordingly.

Three days in Kairouan

Day one begins in the Medina, the heart of Kairouan and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded by the Umayyads under Caliph Mu, the city grew into a centre of Sunni Islamic learning, and you can feel that history as you wander the lanes. Use the Gate of the Martyrs as your starting point, then make your way to the Mosque of Uqba, the city's defining landmark. Near the Medina you'll find Hotel Tunisia on Avenue de la Republique and Hotel Splendid on Rue du 9 Avril, both handy bases for exploring on foot.

Day two is for the Quranic heritage that gives Kairouan its standing among Muslims. Take your time around the Medina's religious sites and courtyards, and pause to appreciate why this city is regarded as a spiritual centre in Tunisia. In the evening, return to Avenue de la Republique for a meal and a stroll.

Day three, look beyond the city. Buses connect Kairouan with Tunis, Sousse and Sfax, and louages are the way to reach El Jem. Note that for El Jem you'll want to sort out your transport early in the day. Be back in Kairouan by evening to enjoy the Medina one last time.