Are you going to Marrakech in Morocco, the jewel of North Africa? To benefit from a cultural and spiritual break during your trip there, we present you with the splendid Koutoubia mosque!
This religious building is famous in the Muslim world and is recognized worldwide as one of the most famous mosques celebrating Islam. In fact, unlike others, it is not distinguished by its architecture or its ornaments but by a certain stylistic austerity, a certain aesthetic stripping, except for its minaret of the XII° century, more richly decorated.
It attracts thousands of visitors every year, faithful or not, and we recommend you to visit it if you are passing through Marrakech: to convince you and help you, We've put together a concise and practical travel guide that gives you all the practical information you need: a brief history of the place, the biggest attractions and elements not to be missed on site, as well as access to privileges, schedules and rates to offer you a moment of peace and a cultural stop of your first choice.
Ready? Let's get started!
History of the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech
Captured by the Almohad dynasty in the twelfth century, the city of Marrakech was then under the domination of the Almoravids, sworn enemies of the Almohads because ... considered heretical by the latter! Abd-al-Mu'min, who won the city, was appointed responsible for the design of the first Koutoubia mosque, on a plot of land of the former palace of Ali ibn Yusuf located in the south-western sector of the medina. Built between 1147 and 1157, so in just ten years, this first mosque was rebuilt in the late 12th century because the mihrab (prayer niche) did not exactly face Mecca!
When the Andalusians finally defeated the Almohad dynasty, this problem of alignment became minor in their eyes but a new mosque was finally built right next to the first one: both were built identically - whether for the layout, architecture, dimensions, materials, and inscriptions -, only their geographical orientation was slightly different ... but the correction was wrong! The first mosque had its mihrab pointing five degrees away from Mecca, while the second mosque increased this deviation by another five degrees!
In both cases, both mosques were built during the reign of Abd al-Mu'min, between 1130 and 1163. Eventually deteriorated and then abandoned, the first mosque no longer exists today - only its ruins, which you can discover during your visit to the site - and when you come to visit the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech, you come to admire the second version of it.
What to see and do at the Koutoubia mosque in Marrakech?
What is important to understand is that the Almohad dynasty favored a rather austere architecture: stripped bare, its arches remain naked and devoid of rich decorations. So it is not the building itself that is remarkable, but the elements that surround it.
The minaret, for example, built later, was more ostentatious in its design, with incredible interlacing arches called "sebka", revealing unique craftsmanship; dominated by three golden copper balls symbolizing the three great mosques of Islam, the Kaaba (in Mecca), the one in al-Quds, and the one in Madinah. Legend has it that these three balls were made of molten gold... from the jewels of the Caliph's wife, who dared to eat during the day during Ramadan!
It was this minaret that served as the model for the Giralda in Seville! Its exterior decoration is different on its four faces, with painted floral ornaments, a network of interlacing in relief, bands of white mosaics on a turquoise background, and was built of slate sandstone from the Guéliz quarries. Its proportions are close to perfection: 12.8 meters wide, 69 meters high, and up to 77 counting the tip of the arrow. This tower shelters six superimposed rooms, surrounded by a ramp leading to a covered way protected by a serrated balustrade, a real goldsmith's jewel!
The lantern, measuring nearly sixteen meters, looks curiously like a second minaret ... placed on the first!
The mosque of the booksellers (yes, it is the other name of the Koutoubia mosque in Marrakech) also sheltered a splendid Minbar, a stepladder used as a pulpit, and from where the sermon of the Friday prayer is pronounced by a religious leader. This jewel of Moroccan art commissioned by Sultan Ali Ben Youssef was built in Cordoba in 1137: its elaboration took more than eight years! Then, carefully transported to Marrakech in Ali's mosque, it was then moved to the Koutoubia mosque in Marrakech where it was quickly described as a work of perfection. Indeed, decorated with silver and rare wood marquetry, this monument composed of a thousand pieces of cedar is a truly exceptional piece ... and ingeniously designed and used: hidden in a niche located near the mihrab, it was extracted every Friday through a clever invisible system of pulleys and ropes. Removed from the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech in 1962 to restore it, it is now visible in a small building located at the northeast corner of the El Badi` Palace, nearby.
If visiting the Koutoubia mosque in Marrakech has tired you, you can rest in the splendid gardens of the Lalla Hasna park, which surround the mosque, and which include splendid green alleys and refreshing fountains richly decorated. You can also explore the ruins of an old mosque (the first version of it), right next door!
How to get to the Koutoubia mosque in Marrakech?
Visiting the Koutoubia mosque in Marrakech can be done by accessing it, in only five minutes on foot, from the famous Jemaa el-Fna square, or in ten minutes from the souk of Marrakech.
As for public transportation, they exist but their use is complicated due to the traffic, often chaotic! We recommend, when you come to visit the Koutoubia mosque in Marrakech, and if you come from a distant point to take a cab, very affordable, and which will surely train you in the demanding art of bargaining. You can also consider renting vehicles, but it is often difficult to adjust to the heavy traffic and find a space nearby. Therefore, prefer cabs!
Schedules & Rates of the Koutoubia mosque
It's quite simple: the Koutoubia mosque in Marrakech is open every day, from 9 am to 6 pm, free of charge, for everyone.
But we recommend that you carefully select the exact time of your visit beforehand: in addition to Friday prayer times, when the place of worship is very difficult to access and visit, The Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech is, during regular prayer hours, also occupied by worshippers ... before being invaded by tourists and visitors of all kinds during the peak summer tourist season!
We, what we advise you, is to take advantage of the quietness of the place during the low season and by informing you about the prayer times, which may change depending on the time of the year. Thus, you will be able to fully enjoy your visit to the superb Koutoubia mosque in Marrakech!
