Three Doors Mosque

The Mosque of the Three Doors or Three Gates Mosque is another important stop for pilgrims besides the Great Mosque in Kairouan, Tunisia. Its beautiful exterior makes it a worthwhile detour for non-Muslim visitors as well.

The mosque was founded in 866 AD by Mohammad bin Kairoun el-Maafri, a holy man from Cordoba, and it became a center for one of the Muslim religious brotherhoods that have dominated Islam in Tunisia.

The interior is closed to non-Muslims, but the main feature anyway is the elaborate façade with its strong Andalusian influences. The mosque's three arched doorways are topped by intricate friezes of Kufic script, two of which name the mosque's founder, interspersed with floral reliefs and crowned with a carved cornice.