. ▁ ▁A ▁v angu ard ▁of ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Arab s ▁under ▁U q ba ▁ibn ▁N af i ▁followed ▁from ▁Dam asc us . ▁In ▁ 6 7 0 , ▁K air ou an ▁in ▁modern ▁Tun is ia ▁was ▁established ▁as ▁a ▁base ▁for ▁further ▁invas ions ; ▁K air ou an ▁would ▁become ▁the ▁capital ▁of ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁province ▁of ▁If ri qi ya , ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁Ara bo - I sl am ic ▁religious ▁cent ers ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges . ▁Then ▁ibn ▁N af i ▁" pl ung ed ▁into ▁the ▁heart ▁of ▁the ▁country , ▁travers ed ▁the ▁w ilder ness ▁in ▁which ▁his ▁success ors ▁ere cted ▁the ▁splendid ▁capit als ▁of ▁F es ▁and ▁Mor oc co , ▁and ▁at ▁length ▁pen etr ated ▁to ▁the ▁ver ge ▁of ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁and ▁the ▁great ▁desert ". ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁con quest ▁of ▁the ▁Mag h reb , ▁U q ba ▁I bn ▁N af i ▁took ▁the ▁coast al ▁cities ▁of ▁Be ja ia ▁and ▁Tang ier , ▁over wh el ming ▁what ▁had ▁once ▁been ▁the ▁Roman ▁province ▁of ▁Ma ure t ania ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁finally ▁halt ed . ▁As ▁the ▁historian ▁Luis ▁Gar cia ▁de ▁Val de av ell ano ▁explains : ▁ ▁Arab ▁attacks ▁on ▁An atol ia ▁and ▁sie ges ▁of ▁Constantin ople ▁As ▁the ▁first ▁t ide ▁of ▁the ▁Muslim ▁con quest s ▁in ▁the ▁Near ▁East ▁e bb