First capital of the Maghreb Islamized formerly inhabited by the Berbers, Kairouan knew its time of glory under the Aghlabid dynasty (IXth-XIth century). Classified by UNESCO in the list of World Partimony (1988) and won the Agha Khan Award of architecture (1992).

Through these pages, you will find out some aspects of Kairouan’s rich, original and marvellous architecture, particularly from the point of view its cupolas reflecting past glory and splendour.

Built out of stone or solid bricks, these architectural elements are specific to the Maghreb and even to the Arab world. Initially volume spheric is (polybé), with dimensions octagonal base are finally curved the interior part at square base is bored by a whole of niches.

The spheric volume is arched. The sides of the octagonal basis are bowed. And a number of niches are made through the inner square-shaped part.

Used in the places of worship (mosques, oratories or zaouias) as well as in educational institutions of teaching - the ‘medersas’, the cupola also expresses the divergent forces towards the sky as well as universal knowledge.

The nailed doors which constitute also one of Kairouan’s curiosities are characterized by horizontal lines of large nails with geometrical drawings doubled by smaller nail heads inside. These drawings point out to the arabesques which one sees on the Hispano- Moresque stucco engravings. On each leaf, door hammers of wrought-iron rings are fixed.

Ahlem Rebaï- Architecte ENAU