https://en.sputniknews.africa/20231217/three-workers-killed-in-wall-collapse-at-unesco-world-heritage-site-in-tunisia-reports-say-1064166339.html

Three Workers Killed in Wall Collapse at UNESCO World Heritage Site in Tunisia, Reports Say

Three Workers Killed in Wall Collapse at UNESCO World Heritage Site in Tunisia, Reports Say

Sputnik Africa

The Tunisian city of Kairouan was founded in 670 AD by Uqba ibn Nafi, who was a military leader and statesman of the Rashidun and Umayyad Caliphates. Kairouan... 17.12.2023, Sputnik Africa

2023-12-17T15:42+0100

2023-12-17T15:42+0100

2023-12-17T17:06+0100

tunisia

north africa

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A collapse of a section of the ancient walls encircling the Old City of Kairouan claimed the lives of three masons on Saturday who were repairing the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Tunisian authorities reportedly said.Two other workers were also injured when a 30-meter section of the 6-meter-tall walls collapsed to the ground near the Gate of the Floggers, according to the Civil Protection Department, the media reported.A group was performing restoration work on the three-kilometer-long wall that encircles the Old City, Moez Tria, a spokesman for the department, told the media. Tria added that recent excessive rainfall in the area could have contributed to the accident.Furthermore, the spokesman stated that a perimeter had been set up to prevent anybody from passing beneath a section of the wall that remains susceptible to additional collapse.Cultural Significance of KairouanKairouan city, established in 670 AD, is situated in the heart of Tunisia and holds great religious significance in North Africa. It is also a prominent destination for tourists.The city was part of the Islamic Caliphate during the Middle Ages: the Rashidun Caliphate (632–661), which succeeded the first Caliphate founded by Prophet Muhammad himself in what is now Saudi Arabia, and expanded widely in the Middle East and North Africa, the Umayyad Caliphate (661–750), and the Abbasid Caliphate (750–1258).During the medieval period, three major caliphates succeeded each other: the Rashidun Caliphate (632–661), the Umayyad Caliphate (661–750), and the Abbasid Caliphate (750–1258).The city boasts a wealth of architectural treasures, including the Great Mosque, adorned with exquisite marble and porphyry columns, as well as the 9th-century Mosque of the Three Gates.Since 1988, Kairouan has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The oldest known mosque with a sculpted facade — the Mosque of the Three Doors — is located there.For a span of four centuries, the city held the prestigious title of being the capital of the Muslim world in North Africa, until it was replaced by Tunis as the political capital of Tunisia in the 12th century.UNESCO described the mosque as "an architectural masterpiece that served as a model for several other mosques in the Maghreb." Moreover, according to the organization, "Kairouan bears unique witness to the first centuries of this civilization and its architectural and urban development."

https://en.sputniknews.africa/20230724/1060735664.html

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tunisia, north africa, unesco, maghreb , building collapse, death