Koutoubia Mosque
Quick Facts
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Located near the Djemaa el Fna, the Koutoubia Mosque is the largest mosque in Marrakesh, Morocco. It is famed especially for its magnificent minaret, the oldest of the three great Almohad minarets remaining in the world.
History of Mosque
Construction on the Koutoubia mosque began shortly after the Almohad conquest of Marrakesh, around 1150. Built on the site of an 11th-century Almoravid mosque, it was completed during the reign of Sultan Yacoub el Mansour (1184-99). Its name comes from the Arabic for "book" (koutoub), because there was originally a book market nearby.
Architecture
The tower is 69 m (221 ft) in height and has a lateral length of 12.8 m (41 ft). Six rooms (one above the other) constitute the interior; leading around them is a ramp by way of which the muezzin could ride up to the balcony. It is built in a traditional Almohad style and the tower is adorned with four copper globes.
According to legend, the globes were originally made of pure gold, and there were once supposed to have been only three globes. The fourth globe was donated by the wife of Yaqub el-Mansur as compensation for her failure to keep the fast for one day during the month of Ramadan. She had her golden jewelry melted down to form the fourth globe.
According to legend, the globes were originally made of pure gold, and there were once supposed to have been only three globes. The fourth globe was donated by the wife of Yaqub el-Mansur as compensation for her failure to keep the fast for one day during the month of Ramadan. She had her golden jewelry melted down to form the fourth globe.