Historical Background

Established by the Arab general Uqba ibn Nafi in the year 50 AH (670AD/CE) at the founding of the city of Kairouan

The first mosque in the first Muslim town in the West

Mid 10th century Kairouan flourished with marketplaces and agriculture

Previously pilgrimage city and political capital

Used to be a major intellectual center for the Maliki school of Sunni Islam and the sciences

• • Maliki school is one of the four schools of Islam law

Represented a cosmopolitan and urbane Kairouan

In 836, Prince Ziyadat Allah I, rebuilt the mosque with permanent stone, brick, and stone

In late 9th century, a dome was added over the central arches and portal to signify mihrab's importance