Fifth Journey Day 169: Between Dust and Breath

Date: October 24, 2025
Location: Kairouan, Tunisia

In Kairouan, Tunisia, the morning gathered around the historic Aghlabid Basins and the measured calm of a UNESCO-listed medina. Whitewashed walls, arches, and courtyard tea frame a desert-light rhythm where restraint feels like a craft and stillness becomes a mirror.

Light on the Aghlabid Basins

I spent most of the morning near the Aghlabid Basins, where the light changes more slowly than time itself. The water was calm and circular, and its edges were lined with faint dust. When I looked down, the sky's reflection seemed almost as hard as the surface below it — like a mirror that didn't want to be seen through.

Footsteps and Fleeting Company

I sketched for a while, but my lines came out uneven because I was distracted by the sound of insects and someone sweeping the street behind me. A boy stopped, watched silently, and left. I realized later that I didn't remember what he looked like, only the sound of his sandals on the ground.

A City Carved from Restraint

Kairouan feels as if it were carved out of restraint. The white walls glow without effort, and the arches repeat like breathing. Even the shadows look planned and intentional. I noticed a bowl of figs on a window ledge, the soft blue of a painted door that had faded in the sun, and a cat sleeping on a cool tile floor.

Quiet Moments at a Tea Stall

By late afternoon, I was sitting in a café in a courtyard. I watched as the mint tea I ordered cooled too quickly in the heat. There was no wind, just still air full of scent: sugar, dust, and something metallic. I thought about how repetition can be both comforting and restrictive — the same pattern that holds also confines.

Choosing Stillness Over Sketching

The day was easy, and maybe that was just what I needed. Looking was enough. The sketch I made isn't very good, but it captures the stillness I felt. Sometimes that's all a drawing needs to keep.

Travel Notes

• Weather: Clear, dry heat with steady sun; about 27°C by midday. Air ancient and still, like a room that has held its breath.
• Scents: Mint tea sweetened with sugar, dust warming on stone, and a faint metallic note lingering in the courtyards.
• Sounds: Insects rasping at the edges, the soft drag of a broom, sandals tapping past, and long pauses of quiet.
• Reflection: Repetition can soothe and restrain at once; today, the city’s measured rhythm asked only for attention.

Continue the Journey

You may also enjoy the city’s quieter corners in Café Chronicles (Tunis), or linger with another night-soft moment in Moonlit Oasis.