Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-29
Copyright, 1907, by Frank G. Carpenter.)

KAIROUAN, Tunisia
Northern Africa is now in the throes of
Mohammedan revival. From the Atlantic
to the Nile the people are stirred up in be-
half of their religion, and there are whis-
pers everywhere favoring the Inauguration
of holy war to drive out the Christians.
This movement is strongest in the least
civilized countries. 1t exists throughout
all parts of Morocco. and especially in the
western section Of the Desert of Sahara.
1t is rife in Tunisa and also in Tripol l
hear mutterings of 1t from people who
have come here from Egypt, and the au-
thorities everywhere are alive to Its dan
gers.
Kairouan the Holy.
The feeling against Christians Is es-
pecially strong in this place, where I am
writing. Kairouan is the Mecca of north
Africa, and one of the hottest cities of the
Mohammedan world. 1t was founded by
the famous general, Sidi Okba, and for l 200
years it was uncontaminated by Christians.
A half century since it would not have
been safe for a foreigner to enter 1t, and
in 1880, when Sir Grenville Temple came
here, with an escort of soldiers, by the
permission of the Bey of Tunis, he was
only allowed to go out after sunset, and
that in the disguise of an Arab. 1t was
not until its conquest by the French, about
twenty-five years ago, that Kairouan was
opened to Christians. and today they are
the charge of French soldiers. 1t has a
French controller to direct the sheiks how
to govern; and it Is through a card from
him that am able to make my way about
and visit the mosques.
A Pilgrimage City.
Karouan is so sacred in the minds Of the
Mohammedans that they make pilgrkmages
to 1t just as they do to Mecca and Medina.
There are now pilgrims scattered through
the various mosques, and one may see
them praying In the desert not far away.
Many of them come for hundreds of miles
to worship at the shrines here. They
sleep in the mosques, and during certain
seasons they overflow the city, and their
tents are to be seen covering the country
outside the walls
The Kairouan Of today has twenty-five
MOSQUES and many tombs of Mohammedan
saints. In the middle ages it had 300
mosques, 900 baths and 600 hotels where
caravans could stop. Its population then
numbered 100000, and 1t was celebrated
and learning. Today it has only 25,OO0 in
habitants and some of the greatest
mosques are outside the city.
The towns is situated on a. hill. 1t is sur
rounded by walls as high as a two-story
house and is entered by gates. The town
is of Mohammedan architecture. The
houses are f1at-roofed buildings of one or
two stories. with barred windows, standing
are accessible. except on foot, on horse
back. or on donkeys. The business Is done
in covered bazaars. and the people are
dressed in the turbans and gowns and
strange female costumes worn by the
Arabs. The women are closely yelled
when they go out on the street, and 1t is
not uncommon to see one draped in black
from head to foot. her face being so COW
cred that not even an eye can be seen.
The Mosque Of the Holy Hairs.
have gone through the principal mosques
One of the most interesting is that of the
barber of the Prophet Mohammed. This
sanity man Is buried here, and with him
three hairs of the prophets beard, which
make the mosque especially holy. These
hairs We're secured by the barber one day
after he had shaved Mohammed, and he
carried them about with him for the rest
of his life One he kept under his tongue,
another over his heart, and the third pasted
on his right arm. The Mohammedans re-
we're anything that comes from their
prophet, and especially the hairs of his
beard. I remember. when I visited the
mosque of Jamma Mus5fd in Delhi, India,
that the greatest curiosity shown me was
a hair from Mohammed's mustache 1t
was kept in a crystal box inside safe.