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Three stonemasons have died after a section of the historic walls around the Old City of Kairouan in Tunisia collapsed on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Officials say a 30m section of the wall near the Gate of the Floggers crashed to the ground.<\/p>\n
Two others were also injured in the accident and are said to have suffered fractures<\/p>\n
An investigation has been opened into the accident. Authorities say it could be linked to recent heavy rain.<\/p>\n
Moez Tria, a spokesperson for the Civil Protection Department said a perimeter had been set up to stop people from walking under part of the wall which is still at risk of further collapse.<\/p>\n
The city of Kairouan was founded in 670 AD and is one of North Africa’s holiest cities.<\/p>\n
It was the capital of the Muslim world in North Africa for four centuries, before Tunis was chosen as Tunisia’s political capital in the 12th century.<\/p>\n
Kairouan became a Unesco World Heritage site in 1988 and is home to the Mosque of the Three Doors, the oldest known mosque with a sculpted facade.<\/p>\n
Unesco describes the mosque as “an architectural masterpiece that served as a model for several other Maghreban mosques”.<\/p>\n
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