Saudi Arabia has restored the glow of the Aghlabid capital and the first capital of Islam in Africa, Kairouan, through the renovation of the Uqba Ibn Nafi' Mosque and the adjacent ancient city in Tunisia. The mosque, which was built in the year 50AH, is the oldest religious landmark in the Arab Maghreb and an ancient religious beacon that enjoys a special place in the hearts of Muslims. The mosque which was built on an area of 9,700 square meters, is a unique architectural masterpiece and one of the most amazing Islamic monuments in the world. The mosque has the oldest minaret in the Islamic world, which have three stories with a height of 31.5 meters, where, according to heritage experts, the Kairouan Mosque contains valuable treasures, including the pulpit made of engraved teak wood, which is considered the oldest pulpit in the Islamic world and dates back to the 3rd century AH. The project to rehabilitate the mosque to restore the luster of Kairouan is a project of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The renovation project included rehabilitating the floor of the mosque, restoring its historical aspects, and providing three-dimensional lighting equipment and advanced audio gear that would give the mosque an artistic touch that supports its religious and tourist status in Tunisia. The project also included maintaining the ancient city of Kairouan, which extends over 36 hectares and was classified as a world heritage site by the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1988. The Kingdom's Ambassador to Tunisia, Dr. Abdulaziz bin Ali Al-Saqer, said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that the project to restore the Uqba Ibn Nafi' Mosque is an embodiment of the strong relations that bind the two leaderships and the Saudi and Tunisian peoples. Al-Saqer added that the project to renovate the Mosque emanates from the importance that the Kingdom attaches to historical mosques, citing the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Project for the Development of Historical Mosques within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as part of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 projects.
