Kairouan, capital of the governorate with the same name, is a city at the center of Tunisia, located at 150 kilometers to the south-west of Tunis. It is an important point of junction between the south and north of the country. It is a spiritual city, and the first holy town in the Maghreb. It possesses a rich architectural heritage – the grand mosque of the city is registered in UNESCO’s world heritage. As such, the city of Kairouan is also the venue of internationally renowned cultural and spiritual events; the Mouled for instance, the celebration of the birthday of the Prophet, gathers each year almost a million visitors from Tunisia and other parts of the Muslim-Arab world.