Erected on the site of the first Islamic oratory built in the Maghreb by ‘Uqba ibn Nafi, the Great Mosque of Kairouan was later renovated by Hassan ibn Nu’man before being entirely rebuilt by the Aghlabid prince Ziyadat Allah I.
It is the oldest and most prestigious place of worship in the Muslim West, and was used as the architectural model for most of the mosques built in Ifriqiya before the arrival of the Ottomans. With its variety of forms and the wealth of its decorative repertoire, which combines Byzantine and Mesopotamian influences, it embodies most facets of the Kairouanese school.