Kutubiyya Mosque

The Koutoubia Mosque is the largest mosque in Marrakech and was among the largest mosques in the world when it was completed. Its construction ended in 1158 after 17 years of work, it is one of the city’s oldest monuments.

At that time, the city was ruled by the Almohads, and it was Caliph Abd al Mumin who ordered the construction of this gigantic mosque. With its 69-metre-high, 90-metre-long and 60-metre-wide minaret, the Koutoubia Mosque is a sober, elegant masterpiece of Almohad art.

Its minaret was built later, which is why it is more decorated than the rest of the building. With one of the largest prayer halls in Morocco, the mosque can accommodate up to 20,000 worshippers, but only Muslims are allowed to enter.

Designed in pink sandstone, it was named the Booksellers’ Mosque because it is said to have been built on the site of a former souk for manuscript merchants. If you look at the top of the minaret, you will see the three golden balls that crown it. For some, they are a reference to the three great Arab mosques of Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem; for others, they were made from the jewellery belonging to an Almohad caliph, Yacoub el Mansour, who completed the construction of the mosque. Others believe they represent the 3 elements of life: water, air and fire.

To fully appreciate it, take a stroll through the surrounding gardens, in the shade of the orange trees, and come back at the end of the evening, when it is beautifully illuminated!