Kairouan
Kairouan (UK: /ˌkaɪər(ʊ)ˈwɑːn/, US: /kɛərˈ-/), also spelled El Qayrawān or Kairwan (Arabic: ٱلْقَيْرَوَان, romanized: al-Qayrawān [æl qɑjrɑˈwæːn] ⓘ, Tunisian Arabic: Qeirwān [qɪrˈwɛːn] ⓘ), 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 (reigned 661–680); 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.
Kairouan
ٱلْقَيْرَوَان | |
|---|---|
City | |
Top (from left to right): Monument to Kairouan carpets, Great Mosque of Kairouan Second row: Historic city walls, Aghlabid Basins Third row: Zawiya of Sidi Abid al-Ghariani, Makroudh Bottom: Kairouan carpets, Bazaar, Medina quarter | |
Kairouan Location in Tunisia Kairouan Kairouan (Mediterranean) Kairouan Kairouan (Africa) | |
| Coordinates: 35°40′38″N 10°06′03″E | |
| Country | Tunisia |
| Governorate | Kairouan Governorate |
| Delegation(s) | Kairouan North, Kairouan South |
| Founded | 670 CE |
| Founded by | Uqba ibn Nafi |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Radouane Bouden (Ennahda) |
| Elevation | 68 m (223 ft) |
| Population (2014) | |
| • Total | 187,000 |
| Website | Official website |
UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| Criteria | Cultural: i, ii, iii, v, vi |
| Reference | 499 |
| Inscription | 1988 (12th Session) |
| Area | 68.02 ha |
| Buffer zone | 154.36 ha |
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