Kairouan — President Kais Saied made an unannounced visit to the Aghlabid Basins in Kairouan on Wednesday evening.

He was briefed on the state of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, which suffers from a number of shortcomings, including the abundance of dirt in most of the basins despite attempts to clean them each time, the cracking of some of the supports and the lack of grass around the basins.

The Aghlabid Basins are one of the most famous water features of the Islamic era and a testimony to the role of the water engineers of that era in solving the water shortage with the construction of the Aghlabi Basins, founded by Ibrahim Ahmed ibn Al-Aghlab in 248 AH corresponding to 562 AD.

This water feature has withstood erosion for many centuries and remains a testament to the ingenuity of the Aghlabids in the art of architecture and their skilful use of water resources in a region often known for its low rainfall.

The Aghlabid Basins, which cover an area of 12 hectares and consist of a small water filtration basin, a large storage basin and two cisterns for water use, have been restored over the years to preserve this landmark.

The President of the Republic also went to the centre of Kairouan, where he met with a number of citizens and listened to their concerns and aspirations.