Known as the 4th holiest city in Islam (behind Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem), Kairouan is the spiritual heart of Tunisia. Founded in 670 AD, it was the first Islamic city in the country. It’s like a monument to early Islamic architecture and North African culture.
Kairouan isn’t on everyone’s list when visiting Tunisia, but if you like the idea of exploring historical sites and colourful streets without the crowds of Tunis, then it’s definitely worth a visit. It also makes a great place to stop if you are planning to visit El Jem the following day.
We organised a driver from Tunis and arrived late morning. This gave us time to quickly drop our bags and go visit a few of the sites before they closed. It’s a small city, so we only stayed one night and managed to see all the major sites within one afternoon and the following morning.
Colourful Streets and Souks
First thing to recommend is just to explore the side streets and marvel at all the colourful, decorated doors and buildings. Switch off Google maps and just go for a stroll, it’s hard to get lost, and you’ll find some wonderful photo opportunities.
The Great Mosque of Kairouan
In the heart of the city is The Great Mosque of Kairouan. It’s one of the oldest and most influential mosques in the Islamic world, originally constructed in the 7th century. Tickets are 12 TND which includes entrance to several other sites, including The Zaouia of Sidi Sahabi, the Mausoleum of Sidi Abid el-Ghariani, and The Aghlabid Basins.
Appropriate dress is required (no shorts, women’s head and shoulders must be covered). You can walk around the large courtyard, admire the square minaret, and peak inside the prayer hall. The Mosque is open 8am-2pm Saturday – Thursday, and only 8am-12pm on Friday.
Sidi Abid el Ghariani Mausoleum
The Sidi Abid el Ghariani Mausoleum is one of the most beautiful historic buildings inside the medina of Kairouan. It’s a 14th century Zaouia (part mausoleum, part religious school, part spiritual lodge) that was built to honour Sidi Abid el Ghariani, a respected scholar and teacher in the city.
It’s only open until 3pm, and thankfully we made it just before closing. The inner courtyard is surrounded by these beautiful black and white horseshoe arches, geometric marble floors and colourful ceramic tiles. It’s a lovely example of Andalusian-Moorish architecture. We were rushed around the place having just 10 mins before it closed, but thankful for even this short time to admire it.
Ideally, I would budget about 30 minutes to walk around and take lots of pictures.
The Mosque of the Three Doors
The Mosque of the Three Doors is one of Kairouan’s small architectural gems. It was built in 866 by an Andalusian scholar and is famous for its façade with the three arches, which are framed by carved stone panels and long Arabic inscriptions. It’s the oldest decorated mosque façade still standing in the Islamic world, and you can admire it right from the street in the heart of the medina.
While you can’t go inside as a non-Muslim, the exterior alone makes it worth a short stop as you wander through the old city.
The Barber's Mosque
The Barber’s Mosque, also known as the Zaouia of Sidi Sahab, sits just outside Kairouan’s historic medina but is worth the short walk.
Dedicated to Sidi Sahab, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad who is said to have carried several of the Prophet’s hairs with him, it is one of the city’s most ornate religious monuments. While Kairouan’s Great Mosque is impressive for its scale and history, I found this place more captivating for its beautiful details, from colourful tilework and elegant courtyards to the intricate carved stucco that decorates the complex. It was easy to see why this is one of the most visited and photographed sites in Kairouan.
Entrance is included as part of the group ticket purchased from the Great Mosque. I would allow about 30-45 minutes to explore and take pictures.
It was easy to see why….The Barber’s Mosque…. is one of the most visited and photographed sites in Kairouan.
Bir Barrouta
Bir Barrouta is an historic well inside a small domed building within the medina. What makes it special is the traditional camel-powered waterwheel.
Local legend claims the well is connected underground to the sacred Zamzam Well in Mecca, making it an important spiritual site for generations of believers. Nowadays, most visitors come to watch the centuries-old water-lifting system at work as the camel slowly walks in circles to draw water from the well below.
It can get quite busy and crowded as the space is small and it’s now a stop on group tours, but we somehow got lucky and managed to come in between tours! Visiting is free, although donations are encouraged to help care for the camel and maintain the site.
I had mixed feelings about this place. It’s a unique and traditional site, but to be honest I felt very sorry for the camel. The ropes had worn away the fur from it’s side and it certainly didn’t sound too happy.
Unless you get caught behind a big queue, you probably won’t spend more than 15 minutes here.
House of the Governor
Tucked away in the labyrinth of the medina, the House of the Governor wound up being the ultimate hidden gem of our time in the city. It was the very last stop of our day and we essentially just stumbled upon it by pure luck.
Built as an 18th-century Ottoman mansion, the house was originally the private, palatial residence for Kairouan’s regional governors, and that historic opulence is still on full display. Our guide was absolutely lovely. He took us room by room, showcasing the incredible architectural details: intricate carved stucco, grand plasterwork arches, painted ceramics, and floor-to-ceiling mosaics.
Today, the mansion functions as a carpet emporium. While they will naturally try to show you their inventory and hope you buy something, we didn’t find the guide pushy at all. It’s hard to bring a carpet home in carry on luggage and they appreciate that!
The real magic happened when he led us out onto the rooftop terrace. It was stunning. The roof features a traditional white-domed koubba, beautiful arched doorways, and colorful, hand-painted ceramic tiles lining the walls. The terrace was complete with flowers, green plants, and succulents, framing a spectacular skyline view of Kairouan. This was literally the exact vantage point we had been hunting for after spotting similar photos online before our trip.
Note for your budget: While the guided walkthrough is completely free, it is customary to leave a small tip for the guide’s time and hospitality.
Group tours will often take you to other carpet shops that have similar rooftop domes, but these shops are known for being more pushy and the rooftops aren’t quite as nice. Avoid the crowds and go to the House of the Governor!
The Aghlabid Basins
The Aghlabid Basins are some historic water reservoirs built in the 9th century. This site is included as part of your Great Mosque ticket, but is not well maintained and was permanently closed at the time of visiting. If truly interested, you could view from a distance, but we took advice to skip this. Far more interesting places to see in the Medina!
Food and Drink
I will preface that we were only here for one night, however I really enjoyed the places we went.
Hotel Kasbah
This is a luxury 5-star hotel that was an ancient Aghlabid fortress and citadel. It’s stunning from the outside and as you walk in and through the entrance there is a massive central open-air courtyard with a large swimming pool surrounded by palm trees. If you want alcohol this is where you need to come. Given Kairouan is an extremely holy city, alcohol consumption and sales are heavily restricted, and it’s really only large international hotels that serve it. Sitting outside by the pool was a lovely spot to enjoy a few glasses of wine and enjoy the sunset.
El Brija Restaurant
El Brija Restaurant is located in the medina atop the medieval city walls, close to the Great Mosque. They had indoor and outdoor seating, the service was wonderful and we had the most delicious fresh juice I’ve ever had. They had a good selection of food choices on the menu and really enjoyed the fish and couscous. Bonus is the lovely views from the outside terrace.
Wrap Up
I have to admit Kairouan really exceeded my expectations in every way. The city is beautiful and loved just how colourful it was. It makes for a perfect 1-2 night stop.
Was so glad we added this to our itinerary and definitely recommend visiting as part of your Tunisia trip.
