In 867AD, the 9th Aghlabid Emir Ibrahim II, who dwelled in El Qadim palace of Abbassiya, decided to change his residence to another neighbourhood.

When the Emir got a persistent insomnia, his personal physician Is’haq Ibn Omrane advised him to walk in the countryside until he finds a place where he would be able to sleep. At the Raqqada site, the new city of Ibrahim II was constructed endowed with a mosque and many palaces the most famous of which is Qsar Al Fath (the Conquest Palace), Qsar as-Sahn (the Courtyard Palace), Qsar Baghdad (Baghdad Palace), Qsar Al Mokhtar (the Chosen Palace), and Qsar Al Bahr (the Sea Palace), well equipped with drinking water through several “fesqiats” (basins) and surrounded by magnificent gardens.

Raqaada is 10km away from Kairouan (south west). The palace was a residential site for many Aghlabit Emirs (800-909AD). It was surrounded by ramparts having seven doors the most known of which is “Bab Al Kairouan” (Door of Kairouan).

The Aghlabids had established a textile factory called “Dar Attaraz” (the Embroiderer’s House) and a paper factory to supply Beit El Hikma (‘The Wisdom House’) where scientists and religious scholars met. The printing know-how and techniques were transmitted by the Chinese (VIII) to the Arabs (Baghdad- Al Fostat- Kairouan), then to Salerno-Fabriano (Italy), and finally to the Germanic Empires that invented the printer.

In 909A.D, the Fatimids decided to settle in Raqaada that became the headquarters of the Kaliph. Their power spread from the Maghreb up to Egypt where in 969AD, they founded “Al Qahira” (Cairo) where power was transferred.

At a certain time, Raqqada became bigger than Kairouan. Unfortunately its splendour lasted only 45 years.

Nowadays, in the converted Palace, the Raqqada museum contains rare and prestigious collections

Mohamed Rebai
info@kairouan.org