Mouled in Kairouan

A religious festival on a lunar date

The Mouled celebrates the birth of the Prophet Muhammad on the 12th of Rabi al-Awwal in the Hijri calendar, the Islamic lunar calendar, so it moves about eleven days earlier each year in the Gregorian calendar. In 2026 the Mufti of the Republic set it for Tuesday 25 August, based on the sighting of the new moon and astronomical calculation. For 2027, the Umm al-Qura calendar, Saudi Arabia's reference calendar, puts 12 Rabi al-Awwal 1449 on Saturday 14 August; the Tunisian date will be confirmed shortly before, as in 2026, when the Mufti announced it on 13 August. The Mouled is a public holiday.

Why Kairouan

Founded in 670 by Uqba ibn Nafi, Kairouan is the leading holy city of the Maghreb. Its Great Mosque and the mausoleum of Abu Zamaa al-Balawi, the Zawiya of Sidi Sahbi, give it a special place in Tunisia's religious history. After independence, Habib Bourguiba made it the setting for the official Mouled celebrations, and delivered his Mouled speech in the Great Mosque on 3 September 1960. Every year the city welcomes visitors from all over Tunisia for the ceremonies around the mosque.

The 2026 festivities

In 2026 Kairouan celebrated the Mouled for eleven days, from 15 to 25 August. The programme included:

• religious lectures and Sufi performances, including, for the first time, a Sufi music show from Turkey;
• a light projection on the minaret of the Great Mosque of Uqba ibn Nafi;
• a national crafts exhibition with 98 artisans from 21 governorates;
• competitions in reciting the call to prayer and memorising the Koran and the hadiths, the sayings of the Prophet, with the winners honoured on Place du Maghreb Arabe;
• a grand evening on 24 August, the eve of the festival.

Most performances were held in the evening because of the August heat. The 2027 programme has not yet been published.

Assida zgougou

The dish of the Mouled throughout Tunisia is assida zgougou, a cream made from the seeds of the Aleppo pine, called zgougou. Families exchange bowls of it with relatives and neighbours. Zgougou entered the kitchen during the droughts and famines of the second half of the 19th century, before becoming the festival's signature treat.

Planning a visit

Kairouan is 56 km from Sousse, about 45 minutes by road, and 67 km from Monastir Airport. The monuments are visited in the morning: the Great Mosque closes to visitors at 2 pm, and at noon on Fridays, local time. In August average highs reach 38 °C, so sightsee early and enjoy the evenings. Modest dress is expected at places of worship.

Our Kairouan page gives opening hours, tickets and where to stay, including Palais Harran, the guesthouse in the medina chosen by Sabaro. Our Ramadan and public holidays 2027 guide lists the year's other festivals.