LEADERS HAVE BETRAYED The Muslim Ummah.

 

Leaders Have Betrayed

Muslim Ummah!

They Are Trying To Please The

Zionists To Stay In Power While

Their Towns Are Being Bombed

(M. Javed Naseem)

 

Muslims are going through Hell in many countries but, in particular, they are facing genocide in Palestine. The entire world is watching and nobody is taking any action to stop the evil Zionist hand of oppression. On the other hands, in many Muslim countries, especially Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Lebanon and Egypt, the concerts of dance & music; and film/TV award ceremonies are being held at the same time when Israeli armed forces are bombing Palestine, Syria and South Lebanon. This is height of shamelessness and hypocrisy on the part of the Muslims governments running those countries. How do they think that they will be spared by the evil forces committing genocide in their countries? Or, are they working for those Zionist evil forces? It is not a surprise when you realize that the history of Muslim Ummah is full of traitors and Munafiqeen. Allah the Almighty asks the Muslim leaders in particular and the Muslim Ummah in general:

“And why should you not fight in the cause

of Allah and of those who, being weak, are

ill-treated (and oppressed)?-- Men, women,

and children, whose cry is: "Our Lord!

Rescue us from this town, whose people

are oppressors; and raise for us from you

one who will protect; and raise for us

from you one who will help!"

(al-Quran 4:75)

To pacify the Muslim populations in their countries, the leaders are traveling here and there (enjoying tourism), having banquets and attending entertainment functions. They also hold ‘meetings’ to fool their own people claiming that they are trying to find out some solution to the current problem. They never reached any concrete, solid and effective decision to help their suffering population. Their meetings are just formalities to calm down the Ummah while the game of death & destruction continues without any respite. When are they going to wake up? When are they going to fight back for their own rights and liberties? Or are they content with this shameful slavery? At least their leaders are! Nobody is trying to restore peace and justice.

Muslim leadership of today is full of hypocrites who say something else and do something else. Those Munafiqeen are openly disobeying Allah’s commands and boldly violating the tenets of Islam. They are enjoying dictatorial powers and chant the songs of democracy to deceive their own nations. The whole world knows them well but they can still fool people in their own countries. Nobody has the courage or the means to bring them to justice. Therefore, the corruption is at peak. Those who are in the corridors of power, they are enjoying the benefits and the fruits of corruption. They are not interested in changing the situation. But the commands of Allah the Almighty are clearly there in the Quran to remind all Muslims about their responsibilities in such situations.

“And fight in the way of Allah with those

who fight with you, and do not exceed the limits,

surely Allah does not love those who exceed the

limits. And kill them wherever you find them,

and drive them out from whence they drove you

out, and persecution is severer than slaughter.”

(al-Quran 2:190-191)

_{Humanity has been facing such situations throughout history and the righteous people always suffered, whether it was Roman times, Jewish times or the Christian Times. Now, the last nation, the Muslim Ummah, is also going through the same situation. The Bible reminds us of such plight of the earlier nations with verses like this:}

_{“For your hands are defiled with blood, and your}

_{fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies,}

_{your tongue hath muttered perverseness.”}

_{(Isaiah 59:3)}

Matthew 23:27-28

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.”

“In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside, you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”

1-John 4:20

“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.

Hypocrisy and corruption has destroyed the fabric of our society. People are chasing money and material benefits. Moral values have disappeared and codes of ethics are only decorating the books. The Torah, the Bible and the Quran have become pieces of decoration in our homes. Nobody follows them as they are being used for references only. These are the End Times and we were warned of that.

We need to stand up for freedom, justice and peace. If there is no justice, there would be no peace. The game of death & destruction needs to be stopped with an iron hand. The nations of the world need to get together and stop the genocide in Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and other countries. The Muslim population of the countries of the world should demand their leadership and respective governments to work for peace, prosperity and economic development. Looks like we have already lost the game to the evil rich and powerful forces of the Devil. But there is always hope!

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ALLAH SAYS: 'I Answer The Prayer Of The Suppliant When He Cries Unto Me.'

 

The Magic Of Prayer/Dua

Allah Says:

'I Answer The Prayer

Of The Suppliant When

He Cries Unto Me!'

(M. Javed Naseem)

'And when my servants question
you (O Muhammad) concerning Me,
then surely I am nigh. I answer the
prayer of the suppliant when he cries
unto Me. So, let them hear My call
and let them trust in Me, in order
that they may be led aright.’
(al-Quran 2:186)

When we offer prayer (Salat), we whisper with Allah, the Almighty. It means that we are communicating with our Creator directly, one on one. Sometimes when you don’t offer prayer and say that you don’t have time for it or you forgot to offer prayer, that's Devil's influence. He tries his best to distance you from your Lord so that you stay away from performing good deeds. We need to be more careful and vigilant in view of our lives in the Hereafter. It demands strict discipline and patient perseverance.

We are humans and we all make mistakes. We are sinners but the better sinners in the eyes of God are those who repent after the sins and try to change their ways. Allah is the most merficul and He forgives us every time we cry unto Him. One should not be persistent in committing sins because that will lead us to habitual disobedience and eventually rebellion. Allah does not like rebellion or disobedience. Disobedience and rebellion are punished.

‘And there may spring from you,
a nation who invite to goodness,
and enjoin right conduct and
forbid indecency. Such are they
who are successful.’
(al-Quran 3:104)

 Think about your faith (Iman), its level, its intensity and its depth! The more you put your trust in Allah, the stronger your faith (Iman) becomes. But if your faith is so weak that it cannot carry you to your local mosque nearby for prayer, how would it carry you to Paradise on the Day of Judgment? As a matter of fact, your journey to Paradise has already started with your birth. It is up to you to make it worthwhile. You work on your Hereafter (Aakhirah) right here in this world and go through tests & trials. Only the result would be declared on the Day of Judgment.

Did you ever try to understand the meanings of the call for prayer? Pick up a booklet on the subject of ‘Salat’ and read the translation of ‘Azan’ and the contents of ‘Salat’. When the caller (Mouazzan) says: ‘Haeya al-alfalah’, he is saying; ‘Come to the success’.

Now, everybody wants to be successful in life because it is considered to be the ultimate goal. But ironically when the caller (Mouazzan) invites us to success five times a day, we ignore it with one excuse or the other. We are looking for success all over the world, throughout our lifetime, but don’t find it. On the other hand when success itself calls us, we don’t even respond. Funny?

We measure success on the scale of wealth or material possessions. Wealth and material possessions are temporary for this world only. A Muslim should always think about the Hereafter, because, according to the Quran, that's the real and everlasting life. This world is a trial for us. Try to live in the world like a traveller, as if you were just passing by. Don’t let the world live in you while you are living in this world temporarily. Because a boat floats well as long as it stays in the water, but if the water stays in the boat, it sinks.

We all believe luck. Most of the times we Muslims say that everything is pre-destined, whatever we do, wherever we go, whatever we get or don’t get, whatever we achieve, etc. This is true to some extent, not hundred percent. Certain things have been pre-destines while for others we are given freedom of choice. And those are the affairs that can be influenced by prayer. Allah has taught His creation how to pray, how to beg for His mercy or how to supplicate for His blessings. When humans pray, Allah likes it, listens to it and grants it. You can change things with prayer! Had Allah pre-destined every little affair as ‘luck’, He would not have taught humans to pray or supplicate (Dua). Prayer is not a spare wheel that you pull out when in trouble. It is a steering wheel that directs you to the right path throughout. As human beings we get frustrated over small failures and sometimes we lose hope. That is not the right attitude. Never lose hope! Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, Allah smiles from above and seems like saying: ‘Relax, it’s just a bend, not the end.’ He tells us not to despair.

All things in life are temporary. If it is going well, enjoy it. It is not going to last for ever. And if it is not going well, don’t worry. It can’t last long either. Worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles, it rather takes away today’s peace. Try to be content with whatever God has given you. But
trust Him and thank Him for His blessings for the future. And pray for it.

 

Look at the birds how they put their trust in Allah. Every morning they leave home in search of food (or Allah’s bounty). They don’t even know where they are going and what they are going to get to eat. Allah takes care of them and provides them with food and water. Every evening when they fly back home, they carry no food in their beaks for tomorrow. They trust their Creator for that. Learn ‘Tawakkal’ (trust) from the birds.

God listens to everybody’s prayers, especially those who are in distress, and He answers them too. When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them. And sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone else has prayed for you. Prayer brings peace to your mind and heart. Prayer can do magic. Put that magic to work!

===============

THE AMPHITHEATRE OF EL-JEM: The Unique Roman Landmark In Africa.

 

Visiting Tunisia-III

The Amphitheatre of el-Jem

Is The Unique Roman

Landmark In Africa

(M. Javed Naseem)

 

The Amphiteatre of el-Jem (Tunisia) is the second biggest (the first is in Rome, Italy) Roman collosseum in the world. It is Tunisia's star attraction and draws visitors from all over the world. A visit to Tunisia cannot be considered complete without visiting this landmark in el-Jem. The amphitheatre of El Jem is the third amphitheatre built on the same place. It is very well preserved and well-maintained too. The entree fee is 12-Dinars ($3.50) and you can wander in all three floors and the slave quarters/prisons in the basement too. It is just aweful and offers some amazing views. While wandering in the corridors of this huge colloseum, you can easily get lost in time and the ancient history.

History

The amphitheatre was built around 238 AD in Thyusdrus, located in the Roman province of Africa Proconsularis, in present-day El Djem, Tunisia. It is one of the best preserved Roman stone ruins in the world, and is unique in Africa. As other amphitheatres in the Roman Empire, it was built for spectator events, and it is one of the biggest amphitheatres in the world. The estimated capacity is 35,000, and the sizes of the big and the small axes are respectively 148 metres (486 ft) and 122 metres (400 ft). The amphitheatre is built of stone blocks, located on a flat ground, and is exceptionally well conserved. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The amphitheatre of El Jem is the third amphitheatre built on the same place. The belief is that it was constructed by the local proconsul Gordian, who became emperor as Gordian-II. In the Middle Ages, it served as a fortress, and the population sought shelter here during the attacks of vandals in 430 and Arabs in 647. In 1695, during the Revolutions of Tunis, Mohamed Bey El Mouradi made an opening in one of the walls to stop the resistance of the followers of his brother Ali Bey al-Muradi who gathered inside the amphitheater.

It is believed that the amphitheatre was used as a saltpetre manufacture in the end of the 18th and in the 19th century. Around 1850, the breach in the wall was enlarged by Ahmad ibn Mustafa to approximately 30 metres (98 ft). In the second half of the 19th century, the structure was used for shops, dwellings, and grain storage.

Muslim History

Mohamed Bey el-Mouradi was a Muradid leader and Bey (Governor) of Tunis from the year 1675 until his death in 1696. He was the eldest son of Murad-II Bey.

Mohamed Bey's reign was plagued with upheaval and civil war worsened by constant raiding from neighboring Algiers. His uncle, Pasha Mohammed Al-Hafsi and brother Ali bin Murad would attempt several times to usurp the throne. Al-Hafsi was exiled in 1679 but Ali bin Murad, disappointed by his share in the division of power sought refuge in the Beylik of Constantine, a governorate of the Regency of Algiers. He brought the tribes of northwest Tunisia led by Muhammad ben Cheker over to his side with promises of gold and silver.

He besieged Tunis, while Muhammad Bey al-Muradi fled from Tunis to Kairouan before the troops of his brother arrived. Ali besieged the city but Muhammad broke out of the siege, and met Ali on the field of battle. The Battle of El Kerima, which took place on the plain of Fahs in 1677 was decisively won by Ali. He had his troops besiege Kairouan and returned to Tunis to be recognised as Bey in place of his brother who remained under siege in Kairouan.

After some mediation by the Dey of Algiers, a treaty was signed in 1679 between the Muradid princes, but this peace didn't last long. The Turkish Janissaries of Tunis elected their own leader, Ahmed Chelebi, who attempted to take over the country. He was defeated by the Algerians who feared that the revolutionary spirit of the Janissaries in Tunis would spread to their own country. They sacked Tunis in 1686, and left the country in ruins. Mohamed Bey suspected his brother Ali of supporting the Algerians, and thus killed him and seized power for himself.

In 1694 Dey Hadj Chabane invaded Tunisia with the help of a pretender called Mohammed ben Cheker. The resulting war ended in the total annexation of Tunis for several months. During that time Chaabane appointed ben Cheker as the Bey of Tunis, a new Beylik of Algiers similarly functioning in the same way as the Beylik of Constantine.

This didn't last long though, and in 1695, the Tunisians revolted and defeated ben Cheker at the battle of Kairouan, reinstating the Muradid dynasty.

Despite the troubled times, Mohamed Bey was responsible for building several monuments in Tunis including the Sidi Mahrez Mosque, modelled on the mosques of Istanbul, with a great central dome. He constructed many buildings of worship and education within the country including construction works in Beja, el-Kef, Gafsa, Tozeur and Gabes. In 1690 Mohamed Bey built a bridge between Tebourba and Medjerda.

He died on October 14, 1696, and was buried in the mausoleum of his grandfather Hammuda Pasha Bey. He was survived by two sons, Mourad and Hassan, but as they were too young to reign, his brother, Ramadan Bey, inherited his estate.

References in popular culture

It was featured in films such as Monty Python's Life of Brian and the television travel series Long Way Down.

It is commonly believed that the Hollywood movie 'The Gladiator' was filmed here but that's not true. The movie was filmed at the island of Malta (between Tunis and Italy) where they built a replica of the Amphitheatre. But they might have used the pictures/videos of the site.

American sportswear company Nike used this location in 1996 to shoot a television commercial titled "Good vs Evil", which depicts a gladiatorial-style soccer game set in a Roman Amphitheatre. Football players from around the world, including Eric Cantona, Ronaldo, Paolo Maldini, Luis Figo, Patrick Kluivert and Jorge Campos defend 'the beautiful game' against a team of unsportsmanlike demonic warriors, which ends with Cantona receiving the ball from Ronaldo, pulling up his short collar as was his trademark, and delivering the final line, "Au Revoir", before striking the ball which punches right through the demon goalkeeper.

The fourth episode of The Amazing Race 1 concluded at the amphitheatre.

(Courtesy: Wikipedia.org)

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HISTORICAL CARTHAGE RUINS; Antonin Baths & Town of Sidi Bou Said.

Visiting Tunisia-II

Historical Carthage Ruins;

Baths of Antonin; And

Town of Sidi Bou Said

(M. Javed Naseem)

Carthage ruins

According to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, Carthage was founded in the 9th century B.C. on the Gulf of Tunis. From the 6th century onwards, it developed into a great trading empire covering much of the Mediterranean and was home to a brilliant civilization. In the course of the long Punic wars, Carthage occupied territories belonging to Rome, which finally destroyed its rival in 146 B.C. A second – Roman – Carthage was then established on the ruins of the first.

Outstanding Universal Value

Founded by the Phoenicians, Carthage is an extensive archaeological site, located on a hill dominating the Gulf of Tunis and the surrounding plain. Metropolis of Punic civilization in Africa and capital of the province of Africa in Roman times, Carthage has played a central role in Antiquity as a great commercial empire. During the lengthy Punic wars, Carthage occupied the territories that belonged to Rome, which then destroyed its rival in 146 AD. The town was rebuilt by the Romans on the ruins of the ancient city.

Exceptional place of mixing, diffusion and blossoming of several cultures that succeeded one another (Phoenico-Punic, Roman, Paleochristian and Arab), this metropolis and its ports have encouraged wide-scale exchanges in the Mediterranean. Founded at the end of the 9th century BC by Elyssa-Dido and having sheltered the mythical love of Dido and Aeneas, Carthage produced a warrior and strategy genius in the person of Hannibal, the navigator-explorer Hannon, and a famous agronomist, Magon. Carthage has always nourished universal imagination through its historic and literary renown.

The property comprises the vestiges of Punic, Roman, Vandal, Paleochristian and Arab presence. The major known components of the site of Carthage are the acropolis of Byrsa, the Punic ports, the Punic tophet, the necropolises, theatre, amphitheatre, circus, residential area, basilicas, the Antonin baths, Malaga cisterns and the archaeological reserve.

The historic and literary renown of Carthage has always nourished the universal imagination. The site of Carthage is notably associated with the home of the legendary princess of Tyre, Elyssa-Dido, founder of the town, sung about by Virgil in the Aeneid; with the great navigator-explorer, Hannon, with Hannibal, one of the greatest military strategists of history, with writers such as Apulée, founder of Latin-African literature, with the martyr of Saint Cyprien and with Saint Augustin who trained and made several visits there.

Although its integrity has been partially altered by uncontrolled urban sprawl during the first half of the 20th century, the site of Carthage has essentially retained the elements that characterise the antique town: urban network, meeting place (forum), recreation (theatre), leisure (baths), worship (temples), residential area, etc. The conservation of the site guarantees the maintenance of the intact character of the structures. However, it continues to face strong urban pressure that has, for the most part, been contained thanks to the national listing of the Carthage-Sidi Bou-Said Park.

Restoration and maintenance work carried out over the years is in accordance with the standards of international charters and has not damaged the authenticity of the monuments and remains of the site of Carthage. The site benefits from a maintenance protocol.

(Courtesy: UNESCO World Heritage Convention. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/37/)

Wikipedia adds:

Antique and medieval Carthage continued to play an important cultural and economic role in the Byzantine period. The city was sacked and destroyed by Umayyad forces after the Battle of Carthage in 698 to prevent it from being reconquered by the Byzantine Empire. It remained occupied during the Muslim period and was used as a fort by the Muslims until the Hafsid period when it was taken by the Crusaders with its inhabitants massacred during the Eighth Crusade. The Hafsids decided to destroy its defenses so it could not be used as a base by a hostile power again.

The regional power shifted to Kairouan and the Medina of Tunis in the medieval period, until the early 20th century, when it began to develop into a coastal suburb of Tunis, incorporated as Carthage municipality in 1919. The archaeological site was first surveyed in 1830 and excavations were performed in the second half of the 19th century. The site of the ruins is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Carthage was one of the largest cities of the Hellenistic period and was among the largest cities in pre-industrial history. Whereas by AD 14, Rome had at least 750,000 inhabitants and in the following century may have reached 1 million, the cities of Alexandria and Antioch numbered only a few hundred thousand or less. According to the history of Herodian, Carthage rivaled Alexandria for second place in the Roman empire.

 

The Baths of Antoninus continued to function in the Arab period and the eleventh-century historian al-Bakri stated that they were still in good condition at that time. They also had production centers nearby. Constantine the African was born in Carthage.

The Medina of Tunis, originally a Berber settlement, was established as the new regional center under the Umayyad Caliphate in the early 8th century. Under the Aghlabids, the people of Tunis revolted numerous times, but the city profited from economic improvements and quickly became the second most important in the kingdom. It was briefly the national capital, from the end of the reign of Ibrahim-II in 902, until 909, when the Shia Berbers took over Ifriqiya and founded the Fatimid Caliphate.

The fortress of Carthage was used by the Muslims until Hafsid era and was captured by the Crusaders during the Eighth Crusade. The inhabitants of Carthage were slaughtered by the Crusaders after they took it, and it was used as a base of operations against the Hafsids. After repelling them, Muhammad-I al-Mustansir decided to raze Cathage's defenses in order to prevent a repeat.

Carthage is some 15 km northeast of Tunis; the settlements nearest to Carthage were the town of Sidi Bou Said to the north and the village of Le Kram to the south. In the old, Carthage used to be an industrial hub. Each day it produced one hundred and forty finished shields, three hundred swords, five hundred spears, and one thousand missiles for the catapults... . Furthermore, [Carthage although surrounded by the Romans] built one hundred and twenty decked ships in two months... for old timber had been stored away in readiness, and a large number of skilled workmen, maintained at public expense.

The textiles industry in Carthage probably started in private homes, but the existence of professional weavers indicates that a sort of factory system later developed. Products included embroidery, carpets, and use of the purple murex dye (for which the Carthaginian isle of Djerba was famous). Metal-workers developed specialized skills, i.e., making various weapons for the armed forces, as well as domestic articles, such as knives, forks, scissors, mirrors, and razors (all articles found in tombs). Artwork in metals included vases and lamps in bronze, also bowls, and plates. Other products came from such crafts as the potters, the glassmakers, and goldsmiths.

The Greeks were favourably impressed by the constitution of Carthage. Aristotle remarked:

'Many of the Carthaginian institutions are excellent. The superiority of their constitution is proved by the fact that the common people remain loyal to the constitution; the Carthaginians have never had any rebellion worth speaking of, and have never been under the rule of a tyrant.'

(Courtesy:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carthage)

Sidi Bou Said

Sidi Bou Said is a town in northernTunisia located about 20km northeast from the capital Tunis.

Named after a religious figure who lived there, Abu Said al-Baji, it was previously called Jbel el-Menar. The town itself is a tourist attraction and is known for its extensive use of blue and white.

In the 12/13th century AD, Abu Said Ibn Khalaf Yahya al-Tamimi al-Beji arrived in the village of Jabal el-Menar and established a sanctuary. After his death in 1231, he was buried there. In the 18th century wealthy citizens of Tunis built residences in Sidi Bou Said.

During the 1920s, Rodolph d'Erlanger introduced the blue-white theme to the town. His home, Ennejma Ezzahra, is now a museum that has a collection of musical instruments, and organizes concerts of classical and Arabic music.

**************

 

OLDEST OPERATING UNIVERSITY: Fatima al-Fihiriya Is The Connection Between Kairouan & Qarawiyyin.

 

_{(Visiting Tunisia-1)}

_{The Oldest Operating University Of The World:}

_{Fatima al-Fihiriya Is The Connection}

_{Between Kairouan (Tunisia)}

_{And Qarawiyyin (Morocco)}

(M. Javed Naseem)

Fatima bint Muhammad al-Fihriya al-Quraishia was an Arab Muslim woman who is credited with founding the oldest existing, continually operating and the first degree-awarding university in the world, the University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco, in 859-CE. She is also known as Umm al-Banayn.

Fatima was born around 800-AD in the town of Kairouan, in present-day Tunisia. She was of Arab Quraishi descent, hence the name ‘Fatima al-Fihri al-Quraishiyya. Her family was part of a large migration to Fez from Kairouan. Her father Mohammed al-Fihri was a successful rich merchant. She and her sister Maryam were well-educated and studied the Islamic jurisprudence, Fiqh and Hadith. Both went on to found mosques in Fez. Fatima founded al-Qarawiyyin and Maryam founded al-Andalus. Al-Qarawiyyin library suffered a large fire in 1323-AD. Fatima Al-Fihri was married but both her husband and father died shortly after the wedding. Her father left his wealth to both Fatima and her sister Maryam, his only children, who used it to establish mosques and institutions of Islamic learning in today’s Morocco.

Great Mosque of Kairouan, Tunisia

The history of the the Great Mosque of Kairouan in Tunisia is spread over a millennia. It is the oldest Muslim place of worship in Africa as it was founded in the year 670-AD.

Kairouan flourished under the Aghlabid dynasty in the 9th century. Despite the transfer of the political capital to Tunis in the 12th century, Kairouan remained the principal holy city of Maghrib. Its rich architectural heritage includes the Great Mosque, with its marble and porphyry columns, and the 9th-century Mosque of the Three Gates. This ancient mosque is an architectural time portal. The magnificent structure — the oldest Muslim place of worship in Africa, illustrates the mixed influences of pre-Islamic, Roman and Byzantine architecture.

The city of Kairouan, Tunisia, has long been the Maghreb’s most ancient and holy city, a key gathering place for Arabo-Muslim civilization. The Great Mosque, also known as the Uqba Mosque, is at the heart of the city’s heritage. Standing at the nexus of 15 different thoroughfares, in the center of the country between the mountains and the sea, it is considered the fourth holiest site in Islam after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem.

The structure is part of an expansive complex, the mosque itself covering 10,800 square meters (115,660 square feet). Outside, there is a decorated flagstone courtyard and towering, three-story minaret, reminiscent of Roman lighthouses. At 32 meters (104 feet), it remains one of the city’s highest structures. The mosque’s architecture reflects features of pre-Islamic and Eastern Islamic art, as well as later Roman and Byzantine influences. The design has served as a model for many other Maghreb mosques.

 

The mosque was originally constructed by a general named Uqba ibn Nafi (also written as Sidi Okba) as a Friday prayer mosque, used for communal prayers on the Muslim holy day. Though the structure built by Uqba no longer exists, the mosque we see today is sometimes still called “Mosque of Sidi Uqba” or simply Uqba Mosque.

The mosque was rebuilt at least twice in the 8^th century, and then again in the 9^th century, when Prince Ziyadat Allah-I, the Aghlabid governor, demolished most of the existing structure and rebuilt the mosque in sturdier materials of stone, brick, and wood. The surviving version includes a dome -- borrowed from Roman and Byzantine architecture -- and supporting buttresses, added in the 13th century. The mosque sits in the city’s historic walled district of the Medina. The structure is beautiful to look at, both during the day and at night, when the minaret is aglow with lights.

Kairouan is the most ancient Arabo-Muslim base of the Maghreb (670 AD) and one of its principal holy cities. Capital of Ifriqiya for five centuries, it was a place of outstanding diffusion of Arabo-Muslim civilization. Kairouan bears unique witness to the first centuries of this civilization and its architectural and urban development. The medina contains some remarkable monuments including the Great Mosque, an architectural masterpiece that served as a model for several other Maghreban mosques, the Mosque of the Three Doors that represents the most ancient existent sculpted facade of Muslim art. The Basins of the Aghlabids, an open-air reservoir formed by two communicating cisterns that date back to the 9th century, constitute one of the most beautiful hydraulic ensembles conceived to provide water to the town. The Zawiya of Sidi Sahib shelters the remains of the companion of Prophet Mohammed, Abou Zama El-Balawi.

With the Great Mosque, the Mosque of the Three Doors, and the Basin of the Aghlabids, not to mention the numerous archaeological vestiges, Kairouan bears exceptional witness to the civilization of the first centuries of the Hijra in Africa.

Kairouan is one of the holy cities and spiritual capitals of Islam. Next to the Great Mosque, the first place of worship founded in the Maghreb only 38 years after the death of the Prophet, is the Zawiya of Sidi Saheb where the remains of Abu Djama, one of Prophet’s companions, are kept. The historic ensemble of Kairouan, with its central part and its suburbs, has been conserved, without alteration.

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