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WonderIslamic architecture fact

The Great Mosque of Kairouan in Tunisia, founded in 670 and largely rebuilt in 836, is one of the oldest mosques in the Islamic world. Its courtyard, columned prayer hall and square minaret became a model for mosques across North Africa.

Kairouan, Tunisia, 836

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The story behind the card

The Arab general Uqba ibn Nafi chose the site when he founded the city of Kairouan in 670. The mosque was rebuilt several times, and most of what stands today dates from the reconstruction ordered by Emir Ziyadat Allah I in 836. Its prayer hall is hypostyle, meaning the roof rests on rows of columns: 414 of them, in marble, granite and porphyry, taken from ancient sites such as Carthage, so their shafts and capitals vary. The 31.5-metre minaret, rising in three stages from a square base, is thought to be the oldest minaret still standing. The mosque became a model for later mosques across the Maghreb, the part of North Africa west of Egypt, and is part of Kairouan's World Heritage Site.

Türkçe oku
Tunus'taki Kayrevan Ulu Camii, İslam dünyasının en eski camilerinden biridir: 670'te kuruldu, bugünkü hâlini büyük ölçüde 836'daki yeniden yapımla aldı. Geniş avlusu, sütunlu ibadet salonu ve kare minaresi, Kuzey Afrika'daki camilere örnek oldu.
Kayrevan, Tunus, 836

Arap komutan Ukbe bin Nafi, 670'te Kayrevan kentini kurarken caminin yerini de seçti. Cami birkaç kez yeniden yapıldı; bugün ayakta olan yapının büyük bölümü, Emir I. Ziyadetullah'ın 836'da yaptırdığı yeniden yapımdan kalmadır. İbadet salonu hipostil bir salondur, yani çatısı sıra sıra dizilmiş sütunlara oturur. Mermer, granit ve porfirden 414 sütun, Kartaca gibi antik kentlerden getirilmiştir; bu yüzden gövdeleri ve başlıkları birbirinden farklıdır. Kare bir kaide üzerinde üç kademe hâlinde yükselen 31,5 metrelik minare, hâlâ ayakta duran en eski minare kabul edilir. Cami, Mısır'ın batısında kalan Kuzey Afrika topraklarında, yani Mağrip'te sonraki camilere örnek oldu ve UNESCO Dünya Mirası listesindeki Kayrevan kentinin bir parçasıdır.

Sources and further reading

Background reading: Great Mosque of Kairouan
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