Tunis Trip Overview
Founded in 670, the city of 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 first holy city in the Maghreb. Its rich architectural heritage includes, in particular, the Great Mosque, with its columns of marble and porphyry, and the mosque of the Three Doors which dates from the 9th century., then El Djem the ancient city of Thysdrus, one of the most prosperous of Roman Africa for the visit of its amphitheater, and end the excursion by a visit to the archeological Museum El Jem.
Additional Info
Duration: 7 to 9 hours
Starts: Tunis, Tunisia
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Historical & Heritage Tours
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What to Expect When Visiting Tunis, Tunis Governorate, Tunisia
Founded in 670, the city of 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 first holy city in the Maghreb. Its rich architectural heritage includes, in particular, the Great Mosque, with its columns of marble and porphyry, and the mosque of the Three Doors which dates from the 9th century., then El Djem the ancient city of Thysdrus, one of the most prosperous of Roman Africa for the visit of its amphitheater, and end the excursion by a visit to the archeological Museum El Jem.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: The Great Mosque of Kairouan, Rue Sidi Abdelkader, Kairouan 3100 Tunisia
The Great Mosque of Kairouan, the first in the Maghreb, was founded in 670 and rebuilt in 836.
It served as a model for other mosques in the Muslim West, up to Andalusia.
The mosque is named after the Arab conqueror Oqba, founder of the city.
The minaret is reminiscent of ancient lighthouses, such as the famous lighthouse of Alexandria. 31.50m high, it overlooks the vast courtyard surrounded by arcades.
A forest of columns occupies the entire space of the prayer hall, framing the majestic central aisle.
Many of these columns were taken from ancient sites like Sbeïtla.
The portico surrounding the courtyard, the prayer hall, the harmonious symmetry of the facade with its arched arches and its dome make this mosque a masterpiece of architecture.
Duration: 40 minutes
Stop At: Medina of Kairouan, Rue Bouhaha Houmet Jemmaa la medina de Kairouan, Kairouan 3100 Tunisia
Visit of the Aghlabid basins, the Barbier mosque or Sidi Sahbi mausoleum, and its pretty minarets, then to the Kairouan medina where you can take a look in the souks, taste the pastries of Kairouan “The Mekroudhs” and its crafts carpet manufacturing, the great mosque also called Sidi Oqba mosque and finally the three-door mosque.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Amphitheatre of El Jem, El-Jem Tunisia
A visit to the Roman Colosseum, founded in the third century AD and classified as World Heritage in 1972, which can accommodate 30,000 spectators, third in the Roman world by size after that of Rome and that of Capua, the amphitheater of El Djem and the most impressive Roman monument in Africa.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Archaeological Museum of El-Djem, Route de Sfax, El-Jem 345 Tunisia
Visit of the archaeological museum of El Jem, installed in a reconstituted Roman villa, where one can discover an important collection of Roman mosaics, covering a period going from the 2nd century to the 5th century, statues, terracotta statuettes, vials with Perfume and many other glassworks.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
