The historical heart of Kairouan regains its luster

Within the framework of the “Euromed Heritage 4” regional cultural programme, funded by the European Union, the main square of the city of Kairouan, South of Tunis, was renovated. A step towards preserving the historical heritage of the first Islamic city of Maghreb.

Samira Sadfi - Kairouan, Eurojar

In preparation for the launch of Kairouan as Capital of Islamic Culture 2009, important historical sites of the city were renovated, among which “Sahat Al-Jaraba”, Kairouan’s main square, also named “Houmet Al-Jaraba” by local inhabitants. The refurbishment of this historical place located at the heart of Old Kairouan, which is protected with battlements, was made possible thanks to funding provided by the World Bank, Islamic funds and the EU “Euromed Heritage” programme. Project funding reaches 450,000 Tunisian Dinars (about 250,000 Euros).

In order to homogenize the square’s historical identity with the architecture of the neighboring areas, Europeans insisted at preserving its traditional nature and highlighting its cultural value. Rehabilitations have thus allowed the promotion of the square as a major destination of a touristic journey from the Okba Ibn Nafâa mosque, the city's oldest monument, to traditional souks, especially the weavers’ souk established on the periphery of the city. Today, those artisans resumed fabrication of wool blankets and traditional clothing, for both men and women.

In 1995, many parts of Kairouan were renovated. But “Sahat Al-Jaraba” has not been included in the project, due to lack of credits that were mainly devoted at that time to the renovation of other areas of the city, such as the district of the Okba Ibn Nafâa mosque, which became a touristic destination, thanks to funding provided by the World Bank. An engineer who has participated in the renovation of the square says: “On the occasion of the nomination of Kairouan as Capital of Islamic Culture 2009, it is urgent to rehabilitate the central place of the city, as it suffered from natural degradation and carelessness”. Globally, the restoration of the sites surrounding the square successfully resulted in reviving the traditional and commercial activities in Old Kairouan, after they were partly relocated out of the city.

Mohammed Arak, who owns a patisserie in “Bab al Kiddah”, a small square located not far from “Sahat Al-Jaraba”, explains that rehabilitations brought positive changes to this area. Saleh Wartani, whose house facade got a new lease of life, says he is satisfied of the embellishment of the central place of Kairouan, as it helped preserving its original Islamic architecture. For their part, artisans living in an adjacent area say they are hopeful about the future of their district after most of its inhabitants have left in fear of house collapses. Today, new outlets opened up their doors and traders who have moved from the city a few decades ago chose to resettle in their old shops.

Traditional architecture
The renovation of the square was realized according to traditional architecture. The EU helped implement the project, by providing financial assistance to the Organization of Spanish Architects chosen to be in charge of designing the renovation concepts. Another 15 Mediterranean countries participated in this project, among which France, Egypt, Morocco, Cyprus and Spain.

The renovation program included installing white flagstones on a 900 square meters, rehabilitating electricity and telephone networks, erecting road signs that provide names of historical sites and roads.

Head of project management, Dr. Mrad Ramah, explains that the square refurbishment initiative is a crucial step towards the preservation of the cultural identity of the city, as it helped create continuous development process based on cultural tourism.

Each year, tens of thousands of tourists flock to the city of Kairouan and visit its Islamic historical sites. Al-Jaraba square occupies a central location on the touristic road that links several sites of the city, from Okba Ibn Nafâa Mosque to “Bab al Shouhada”, named also “Bab al Jalladine” by the inhabitants of the city.

Khaled Karawi, an engineer in charge of the preservation of historical sites at the National Institute of Heritage, who participated in the supervision of the renovation with Dr. Ramah, said he expects the city to regain its luster and its social and economic role and to attract tourists, especially those who are eager to visit historical sites.

Visitors can easily notice the embellishment of the square, paved with flagstones (made from volcanic rocks), which are one of the main characteristics of the historical roads of Kairouan. House facades and trades were also restored and streets were decorated with new lighting in the form of old lanterns.

Spiritual capital
Kairouan, located some 156 km South of Tunis, is the first Islamic city in the Maghreb. It was founded in 50 Hegira (670 B.C) by Okba Ibn Nafâa. In the first centuries of Islam, Kairouan became the spiritual and political heart of Maghreb, from the conquest until the end of the Umayyad dynasty based in Damascus.

Kairouan witnessed the launch of the conquest led by Tarek Ibn Ziad who crossed with his army the strait between Africa and Europe, towards Andalusia, in order to establish an Islamic state that lasted during 8 centuries. The city was also the launch point for the conquest of Sicily led by Assad Ibn el Fourat, judge of Kairouan, who fell on the littoral of the island. Nevertheless, the Arab domination lasted after him during 3 centuries. This year, the city is named “Capital of Islamic Culture”, a step towards the promotion of its enormous heritage.