Koutoubia Mosque

1147

The mosque that stands today is the second one on the site

The Almohad caliph Abd al-Mu'min founded the mosque in 1147, right after he conquered Marrakesh from the Almoravids. He entirely rebuilt it around 1158, and Ya'qub al-Mansur possibly finished the minaret around 1195. This second mosque is the one that stands today. The minaret is 77 metres high.

77metres, the height of the minaret

Booksellers

Its name means the mosque of the booksellers

The name comes from the Arabic word kutubiyyin, which means booksellers. It reflects the bookselling trade practised in the nearby souk. At one time as many as 100 book vendors worked in the streets at the foot of the mosque.

The first mosque

The Almohads wanted no trace of the monuments they replaced

The city was founded around 1070 by the Almoravid dynasty and captured in 1147 by the Almohads, who did not want any trace of the religious monuments of their enemies. They reportedly demolished all the mosques in the city. In the esplanade behind the Koutoubia, the ruins of the first Kutubiyya Mosque can still be seen.

The minaret

Its tower probably inspired the Giralda of Seville

The minaret is decorated with varying geometric arch motifs and topped by a spire and metal orbs. It likely inspired other buildings such as the Giralda of Seville and the Hassan Tower of Rabat, which were built soon after in the same era.

Lalla Zohra

A small white tomb stands in the grounds, beside a rose garden

On the same esplanade is a small white domed building, the Koubba of Lalla Zohra. It is the tomb of Fatima Zohra bint al-Kush, a female mystic who died in the early 17th century and was buried here near the mosque. To the west and south of the mosque is a notable rose garden.