Permanent Markets in Kairouan and Their Role in Enhancing Trade and Industry in Ifriqiya: Olive and Textile Trade as a Model

Abstract

Since joining the banner of the Islamic Caliphate, the region of Ifriqiya has witnessed a golden age of economic prosperity. This was not merely a transient boom, but rather an extension of a series of structural developments that reached their zenith in the centuries following the conquest. Studying the markets of Ifriqiya in general, and the Market of Kairouan in particular, provides a clear and detailed picture of the economic dynamics experienced by the Emirate. It serves as a mirror reflecting the scale of commercial evolution, while simultaneously revealing the nature of the economic challenges and crises faced by both the populace and the rulers. Furthermore, it sheds light on the fiscal and administrative policies adopted by the governors to address stifling crises, and the efficacy of those solutions in achieving the desired stability.

Based on this significance, this study focuses on "Commercial Markets in Ifriqiya," taking the "Market of Kairouan" as a research model, given its status as the nerve center of trade in the Islamic Maghreb and a warehouse for goods arriving from the Levant, Andalusia, and the depths of the Sahara. This research is organized into a methodical structure that includes a comprehensive abstract and an introduction, followed by four main chapters, a conclusion, and a list of sources and references.

The first chapter reviews a historical overview of the emergence and development of permanent markets during the era of the Islamic conquests. The second chapter is dedicated to studying the "Market of Kairouan" as a pioneering model of professional and craft organization. The third chapter monitors the nature of exports and products that characterized Kairouan as an international commercial hub. Finally, the fourth chapter concludes the research by analyzing the network of internal trade routes that linked the metropolis to its geographical hinterland and other Ifriqiyan cities, contributing to the creation of an integrated economic unit that had a profound impact on the advancement of Islamic civilization in that region