Uqba ibn Nafi
| Uqba ibn Nafi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 622 Mecca, Arabian Peninsula (modern day Saudi Arabia) |
| Died | 683 Sidi Okba, Algeria |
| Allegiance | Umayyad Caliphate |
| Service/branch | Army |
| Years of service | 635–683 |
| Rank | General |
ʿUqbah ibn Nāfiʿ (Arabic: عقبة بن نافع, also referred to as Oqba ibn Nafi, Uqba bin Nafe, Uqba ibn al Nafia, or Akbah; 622–683) was an Arab general serving the Rashidun Caliphate since the Reign of Umar and later on the Umayyad Caliphate during the reigns of Muawiyah I and Yazid I, leading the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb, including present-day Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Morocco.
ʿUqbah was the nephew of 'Amr ibn al-'As. He is often surnamed al-Fihri in reference to the Banu Fihri, a clan connected to the Quraysh. His descendants would be known as the ʿUqbids or Fihrids. ʿUqbah is the founder of the cultural city of Kairouan in Tunisia.
ʿUqbah accompanied al-ʿAs in his initial capture of cities in North Africa starting with Barca, then proceeding to Tripolitania in 644. In 670 now the emir or commander, ʿUqbah led an Arab army to North Africa, crossing the Egyptian deserts, and setting up military posts at regular intervals along his route. In a region of what is now Tunisia, he established the town now called Kairouan (meaning "camp" or "caravanserai" in Persian) about 160 kilometres (99 mi) south of present-day Tunis, which he used as a base for further operations.
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