Tunisia - 29 September 2010 (1)

Kairouan

Aglabid Basin

Tiles in Zaouia of Sidi Sahab

The call to prayer woke me well before 05.00 because I fell asleep afterwards and woke up again at 04.55.  I got up at 05.30 and had showered and packed by the time Caroline got up.  Breakfast was at 07.00 and tainted by a very surly waiter who was not happy that Vic, Caroline and I had sat at a long table which had been earmarked for another group.

Decorations in Zaouia of Sidi Sahab

Decorations in Zaouia of Sidi Sahab

We left the hotel at 08.00 and headed for the Aghlabid basins.  The entrance building had a flat roof and we were able to look down on the pools from there.  There used to be 14 pools, which provided the water supply for the city.  Small pools acted as filters and, when full, fed the larger pools.  There were cisterns to store excess water.  As I looked down, I could see sparrows bathing in the puddles left from yesterday’s rain, although there must have got pretty wet while it was raining.  As we left the pools, we went to look at a camel.  Lotfi started to panic as he thought we were going to get on the wrong bus!

Courtyard of Zaouia of Sidi Sahab

Minaret of Great Mosque

Next stop was the Zaouia of Sidi Sahab.  As this included a mosque, we put our scarves on, although another party was wandering about with heads uncovered.  The building was partly in the Andalusian style and had decorative tiles and wonderful ornate ceilings and walls.  Lotfi explained how the courtyard was designed to collect any rainwater for recycling.  In such a normally dry area, it became a religious requirement that not a drop of water should be wasted.  The building also contained a school and a refuge for pilgrims.  The only part we were not allowed to enter was the shrine to Sidi Sahab.

Ancient Columns in Great Mosque

Prayer Hall in Great Mosque

Our final stop in Kairouan was the Great Mosque.  This is the 4^th most important mosque, after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem.  Lotfi introduced it as being the largest collection of ancient Roman columns.  These were recycled in the portico outside the prayer hall and within the prayer hall itself, where their bases were covered in rugs for protection, though whether for the columns or the faithful, I do not know.  We were not allowed inside the prayer hall, but were able to look in and admire the chandeliers and the ancient columns and see the minbar, from where sermons are delivered.

Sundial in Great Mosque

Recycled Stones in Great Mosque

Once again, the courtyard was designed so that any water would be collected and stored in underground cisterns.  At the centre of the courtyard was an ornate filter.  The ornamentations were not decorative, but designed to remove any dirt.  Lotfi said that there was another filter below to complete the task.  The courtyard contained the capitals of some ancient columns, which had been hollowed out and given lids.  These provided access to the stored water so that the faithful could carry out the required ablutions before going to pray.  We looked inside one of them, which bore large indentations, showing where the ropes used to raise the water had worn away the stone over the centuries.  There was also a sundial in the courtyard, which could be seen by climbing a set of steps.

Central Drain in Courtyard of Great Mosque

After exploring the main courtyard, we moved through to another, where there was a school and dormitories for the students.

We left the mosque and looked for a coffee shop.  We walked up and down the road to the side of the entrance several times, past people trying to sell us souvenirs or shoes.  A young man in a wheelchair was whispering “postcards”, but he was selling them in strips so I was not interested.