Abbasid Architecture, Grand Mosque of Kairouan, 19th Century
Grand Mosque of Kairouan, Tunisia. The Great Mosque of Kairouan also known as the Mosque of Uqba, is a mosque situated in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Kairouan, Tunisia. Established by the Arab general Uqba ibn Nafi in 670 AD at the founding of the city of Kairouan, the mosque is spread over a surface area of 3.5 square miles and it is one of the oldest places of worship in the Islamic world, as well as a model for all later mosques in the Maghreb. The Great Mosque of Kairouan is one of the most impressive and largest Islamic monuments in North Africa; its perimeter is almost equal to 1, 328 feet. This space contains a hypostyle prayer hall, a marble-paved courtyard and a square minaret. In addition to its spiritual prestige, the Mosque is one of the masterpieces of Islamic architecture, notable among other things for the first Islamic use of the horseshoe arch. F. Soler, circa 1880 and 1900
