Kairouan

A holy city of carpets, minarets and makroudh.

Kairouan was founded in 670, and its Great Mosque, also known as the Mosque of Uqba, is one of the oldest and most important in the Islamic world. The city as a whole has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1988.

Beyond the mosque, visit the vast Aghlabid basins that once stored the city's water, browse the carpet shops the city is known for, and don't leave without makroudh, the date-filled semolina pastries that Kairouan does better than anywhere.

Highlights

• The Great Mosque of Kairouan

• The Aghlabid basins

• Carpets

• Makroudh

Best for: History, faith, craft, sweets

Photo: Brahim Guedich / Unsplash