Zawiya of Sidi Sahib (Mosque of the Barber)

Zawiya of Sidi Sahib (Mosque of the Barber) tickets and tours: which one to book

No ticket for the Zawiya of Sidi Sahib alone is sold online. Visitors enter with the combined pass for Kairouan's monuments, sold at the tourist information office near the Aghlabid Basins and at some of the sites themselves; it also covers the Great Mosque, the Aghlabid Basins and other religious buildings of the city, and is valid for the day. Prices are modest and paid in Tunisian dinars, and the custodians at the door expect to see the pass. The zawiya stands just outside the walled medina, to the north-west, a short walk from the Aghlabid Basins and roughly 15 minutes on foot from the medina gates.

Most independent visitors arrive by louage or bus from Sousse, about an hour away, and see the city on foot or by taxi. The most common way foreign visitors reach Kairouan is on a day trip from the beach resorts of Sousse, Monastir, Hammamet or Port El Kantaoui, often combined with the Roman amphitheatre of El Jem. These normally include transport, a guide and the monuments pass, with lunch sometimes included and carpet-shop visits almost always on the route. An independent visit or a private guide hired in Kairouan allows more time inside the zawiya, which group tours sometimes rush. The page lists any GetYourGuide tours whose route passes the shrine.

Visiting Zawiya of Sidi Sahib (Mosque of the Barber): what to see and how to behave

Sidi Sahib is the most venerated shrine in Kairouan and one of the most beautiful buildings in Tunisia. Tradition holds that Abu Zama'a al-Balawi, a Companion of the Prophet Muhammad, died in battle nearby and was buried here in 654, carrying three hairs of the Prophet's beard; that story gave the complex its popular name, the Mosque of the Barber. He is regarded as the patron saint of the city. A domed tomb existed by the 14th century, but most of what you see dates from the 17th century, when the Muradid beys rebuilt the mausoleum, added lodgings for pilgrims, a prayer hall, a minaret and a madrasa. From the street you enter a large outer courtyard ringed by arcades, then pass through a gate framed in red and white marble into the heart of the complex.

A long passage, its walls covered in colourful tiles, leads to an inner courtyard with slender marble columns and walls clad in glazed tiles painted with vases, plants and arches in blue, green and yellow. Above them runs finely carved stucco with geometric patterns and stylised trees. The tiles, made in the Qallalin district of Tunis, and the Italian marble columns are the things to linger over. The tomb chamber itself is reserved for Muslims; non-Muslims can see into it from the doorway and walk the courtyards. Dress modestly, speak quietly, remove shoes where carpets begin and ask before photographing people at prayer. Local families still come to pray and seek blessings, so step aside when they pass.

Zawiya of Sidi Sahib (Mosque of the Barber): opening hours, ceremonies and the best time to go

The zawiya opens in the morning and closes in the late afternoon, with shorter hours during Ramadan and on Fridays, when non-Muslim visits end before the midday prayer. Check at the tourist office when you buy the pass. Morning is the best time: the light in the tiled courtyard is soft and the day-trip coaches from the coast usually reach the city around late morning. Spring, from March to May, and autumn, from late September to November, are the most comfortable seasons;

summer in Kairouan is very hot, and winter can be cool and grey. Kairouan's great religious celebration is the Mawlid, the Prophet's birthday, when pilgrims from across Tunisia fill the city and Sidi Sahib is crowded with families; visits are possible but restricted. The last nights of Ramadan are also busy. Allow 45 minutes to an hour. Combine the zawiya with the Aghlabid Basins, the Great Mosque of Kairouan and a walk through the medina.