Founding of Kairouan
An army camp becomes Islam's first capital in the Maghreb
The general Uqba ibn Nafi founded Kairouan as a base for conquering North Africa; its name comes from the word for 'caravan'. It became the capital of the province of Ifriqiya, and its Great Mosque a model for mosques across the Maghreb. Tradition says Uqba later reached the Atlantic and rode his horse into the ocean, lamenting there were no more lands to conquer.
Wikipedia (Russian) · Wikipedia (English) · 7th century
Meanwhile around the world (±25 years)
Middle East
- 680 Battle of Karbala — 10 years later
Alive at the time
- Pakal the Great (aged 67)
- Wu Zetian (aged 46)