Koutoubia Mosque

Koutoubia: The Marrakech landmark that has stood the test of time

For almost 1000 years, the minaret of the Koutoubia mosque has been the landmark on the horizon of Marrakech. The oasis city was hidden from view by the many palm trees and almost 20 km defensive wall around. But above that towered the minaret, visible from up to 30 km away and against the backdrop of the High Atlas Mountains. A wonderful picture!!

If you visit the Ourika waterfalls and return to the city you will have a wide view across the plain. In the distance, you see the minaret in all its glory and imposing shine and you feel for a moment humble. Would the merchants and travelers from all over the world who used to visit the city, too have felt like this?

The mosque gets its name from the integration of the Arabic language in former Morocco. At the time there were mainly Berber dialects in the region. The word al-Koutoubiyyin means “librarian”, one word from the new language brought by the arrival of Islam in the country. Koutoubia refers to the book market that used to take place around the mosque and the itinerant storytellers.

Many dynasties have ruled Morocco and the Almoravid royal house from the 11th century is located unintentionally at the cradle of the construction of the largest mosque in Marrakech. The story begins in the Sahara….

The story of the Koutoubia mosque

Once upon a time, a Berber tribe lived in the desert of what is now Mauritania, and they called themselves the Almoravids. They ruled part of the Trans-Saharan gold trade route and wanted more influence exercised on this. They followed the route and conquered adjacent territory to strengthen their position. After a long journey, they found at the foot of the High Atlas, around the year 1060, an ideal location for one settlement. It was at a crossroads of the caravan routes, it was surrounded by fertile fields and its meltwater from the mountains could be irrigated via the khettera system (underground channels). One use of dealing with water that they also used in the Sahara. What they took with them from the desert were the delicious dates. The story goes that the many palm trees around Marrakech originate from the kernels of the dates brought along from Mauritania.

They called the original agricultural landscape “The land of God” (Mur na kush in Berber) and it grew into the city of Marrakech. The rulers were open to the intellectual influence of science and theology. There was a tolerance between Muslims and other believers in the city. And women had one prominent role in society. They could move freely and be also in a position to rule. The Berber Malika (queen) Zaynab is the most famous example of this.

These developments and growth of prosperity were watched with suspicion by rival Berber tribes from the Anti-Atlas Mountains. In their eyes were the rulers of the new Kings City and the Empire apostates from true Islam. And one day they decided to join forces and fight. After a 7 years siege they succeed to conquer the city and a new era dawns; The Almohad dynasty will become lord and master of Marrakech and the empire up to Andalusia.

If this change in history had not happened, the Koutoubia mosque might never have existed! Because the new ruler did not want to keep any memory of the Almoravid royal family and their buildings were razed to the ground. Similarly, the palace of the deposed King, built on that very spot. The released ground got one another destination as a religious center of the city.

Between 1147 and 1154, a mosque with room for 20,000 worshipers was under construction. However, upon completion, it turned out that the Qibla wall (prayer direction) was not properly oriented towards Mecca. The prayer house was demolished and rebuilt pointing in the right direction. The foundations are still visible from the original mosque and open to the public.

During the period of the mosque’s rebuilding, Yacoub el Mansour (The Victor) in the 1184 Kingship was successful. He was also supervising the building and gives the already impressive Almohadic architecture reinvigoration. The most iconic building of its time is the minaret of the Koutoubia mosque because a minaret was still missing. The same as the Hassan Tower in Rabat and the Giralda in Seville (then the tallest tower in the world), the cultural legacy of the former Moorish-Andalusian Empire. The Koutoubia has been treated with reverence by successive kings and dynasties and is seen as the showpiece of the city.

The square base of the Koutoubia minaret reaches 70 meters in height. Each side is decorated differently with floral motifs, geometric figures, battlements, inscriptions, and green tiles. Green is the favorite color of the prophet Mohammed and therefore the religious color of Islam. At the top, four golden spheres. The legend has it that Yacoub el Mansour’s wife sinned during Ramadan by not fasting. She melted down all her precious ornaments and gave the golden spheres as penance. Whether it is true or not, it makes the minaret majestic and yet remains clean in its simplicity.

De Koutoubia; the visible secret of the past

A visit to the Koutoubia mosque is reserved for Muslims and therefore remains hidden for many tourists. However, if you have already climbed the Giralda in Seville, you can imagine how it will be to look inside as this church tower used to be the minaret of the great mosque and the little brother from the Koutoubia. In the time of the Reconquista, it has transformed into a catholic cathedral with a clock house in addition to the top.

Did you know that the Giralda Tower impressed later architects so much even in its new role? And the shape was copied many times in the design of new church towers in Europe, Russia, and America. Big Ben in London is one example of this.

And that brings us back to the almost 1000-year-old ancestor; the Koutoubia in Marrakech. The square and the surrounding garden are accessible to everyone so you can enjoy the grandeur of the building up close. The beautiful garden surrounding the mosque is pleasant to linger in the shade of one orange or jasmine tree. Water streams and fountains make it an idyllic setting. Here you can see all the beautiful sides of the minaret and it is also an ideal place to take a perfect photo. A lovely piece of green in the center of the city where you don’t get any of the hustle and bustle of the city. An oasis where peace as in paradise and a rich cultural past come together!

An insider tip: Do you want to take a nice photo as a memory? Then visit the KifKif restaurant! From the roof terrace, you have a beautiful view of the mosque and its visitors. They serve delicious fruit juices and you can also enjoy lunch or dinner there!