VedutaNeighbourhood
Aghlabid Basins
Two great ninth-century reservoirs that once stored water for Kairouan, a feat of Aghlabid engineering.
- Editor's score
- 4.5
- Visit
- 30 min
- Price
- €
About
Kairouan lies in an arid steppe far from any river, so supplying water was a constant challenge. The Aghlabid ruler Abu Ibrahim Ahmad ordered these two large reservoirs, built between 860 and 862 under the supervision of Khalaf al-Fata. They followed earlier cisterns commissioned by the Umayyad caliph Hisham, which have not survived, and they remain a clear reminder of the city's golden age.
Best time to go: Visit in the late afternoon and combine it with the Zawiya of Sidi Sahib nearby.
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