Tunisia

Kairouan is the fourth Holy Place of Islam after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. Because there, when the Arabs invaded Africa, the military leader Oqba Ibn Nafi plunged his spear into the barren steppe soil and founded the first Arabian town of Africa. Just two hours away from this small town, masses of tourists lie in the sun on the beach. But going almost untouched by all the hustle and bustle, Kairouan resists modernity. There, one lives in the rhythm of Islam. Time seems to stand still within the labyrinthine Souks, in the maze of narrow streets and alleys. Several times a day you can hear the concert of uncountable muezzins from more than 100 minarets, the sound of an intact Arabic-Islamic old town ensemble.