You do not need a map to find the Koutoubia. The minaret rises above the palm trees and rooftops of Marrakech, and on a clear day it can be seen from far across the plain. For more than eight centuries it has been the landmark of the city, the point from which visitors orient themselves and the building that Moroccans themselves are proud of. Yet many tourists photograph it from a distance without knowing much about it. This guide explains how it came to be built, what makes the architecture so admired, and how to visit it respectfully.
A mosque built twice
The Koutoubia belongs to the Almohad dynasty, the Berber reformist movement that came out of the High Atlas in the 12th century and went on to rule Morocco, much of Spain and North Africa. The Almohads captured Marrakech from the Almoravids in 1147 under their first caliph, Abd al-Mu’min. They destroyed a number of Almoravid buildings, which they regarded as impure, and began to build new mosques and palaces in the city.
The first Koutoubia mosque was built at that time. According to tradition, it turned out to be slightly misaligned with the direction of Mecca, which is the direction that worshippers face in prayer. Rather than leave it as it was, the Almohads built a second mosque right beside it, correctly oriented, and the present building dates from that second effort in the middle and later part of the 12th century. Excavations in the 20th century uncovered the foundations of the first mosque, and these can still be seen beside the current one, roped off in the gardens. It is a rare chance to see the traces of an earlier plan next to the finished building.
The completion of the minaret is usually credited to the Almohad caliph Yaqub al-Mansur, who ruled from 1184 to 1199 and who added the decorative lantern at the top. This was the golden age of the dynasty, and al-Mansur used it to launch a number of ambitious building projects across his realm.
Why it is called the Koutoubia
The name comes from the Arabic word kutubiyyin, which means “booksellers”. In the 12th century, a large market of manuscript sellers is said to have grown up around the mosque, and the neighbourhood and then the building took the name. In practice this means that, before the age of printing, one of the busiest literary markets of the western Islamic world was located in what is now one of the most photographed spots in Morocco. It is a pleasant thought when you stand beneath the minaret and watch the crowds.
The minaret: proportions and decoration
The minaret is the reason most people come. It stands about 77 metres tall including its lantern, and it is roughly square at the base, with sides of around 12 or 13 metres, so the proportions are tall and slender in a ratio of about five to one. That ratio was a hallmark of Almohad design: the dynasty liked clear geometry and monumental simplicity.
The tower is built of sandstone and brick, and the surface is covered in decoration which is not the same on all four sides. Each face carries its own pattern of arches, carved panels and interlaced lozenges, known in Moroccan architecture as sebka. This variety is deliberate, and a walk around the base shows how the designers played with rhythm and repetition without ever repeating exactly. Higher up, bands of ceramic tile run around the tower, and at the very top sits a lantern topped by three golden balls of decreasing size. A popular legend says the balls were made from the gold jewellery of the caliph’s wife, offered as penance after she broke her fast during Ramadan. It is a charming story, and it is only a legend, but it is told so often that you will almost certainly hear it.
Inside the tower, instead of a stairway, a wide ramp winds upwards, so that, according to tradition, the muezzin could ride a horse or donkey to the top. Six rooms are stacked on top of one another in the interior. Non-Muslims cannot climb it, because the tower belongs to the mosque, but the engineering is part of the story and worth knowing.
The Koutoubia’s design became a model. The Hassan Tower in Rabat, begun in the 1190s, copies its proportions on a larger scale, and the Giralda in Seville, originally the minaret of the city’s great mosque and later converted into a bell tower, is closely related. Anyone who has seen the minaret in Marrakech will recognise the family resemblance.
The mosque itself
The prayer hall is built on an inverted T-shaped plan, a layout that the Almohads favoured. It has a series of parallel aisles, traditionally described as seventeen, running towards the wall that faces Mecca, and the arches are horseshoe-shaped and richly ornamented. The interior contains plain brick columns and carved plaster, with relatively little ornament compared with later Moroccan buildings, which reflects the austere religious ideals of the Almohads.
Another item from the Koutoubia’s history that is worth knowing: a magnificent 12th-century minbar, or pulpit, made of inlaid wood and ivory, was commissioned for a mosque in Marrakech and made by craftsmen in Córdoba. It was used for centuries in the Koutoubia and is now displayed in a purpose-built gallery at the El Badi Palace, where visitors can look at it closely. It is considered one of the finest surviving examples of medieval Islamic woodwork.
Visiting the Koutoubia
This is the part that surprises many visitors. The Koutoubia is an active mosque, and non-Muslims cannot enter it. That rule applies to nearly every mosque in Morocco; the notable exceptions are the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, where guided tours are offered, and a few historic mosques that are no longer used for prayer.
You can, however, see a great deal from outside.
- The minaret can be admired from the gardens that surround the mosque. The best viewpoint is from the grounds on the south and west sides, where you can step back far enough to photograph the entire tower.
- The gardens are pleasant, with palm trees, fountains and shaded paths. They are a good place to sit for a few minutes away from the traffic of the nearby avenue.
- The ruins of the first mosque, mentioned above, are visible at ground level beside the main building, and a few information boards describe them.
- The call to prayer from the minaret is one of the best sounds of the city. If you are nearby at one of the five daily calls, especially the one at sunset, take a moment to listen.
The mosque is a short walk from Jemaa el-Fnaa, and many people combine the two in an evening. When it is lit at night, the minaret looks magnificent. For the best photographs, go in the late afternoon, when the warm light brings out the colour of the stone.
Dress modestly when visiting the area, and remember that worshippers use the surrounding gardens before and after prayers. A quiet, respectful presence is appreciated.
When to go, and how long to stay
The gardens are open to everyone and are not ticketed, so you can drop by at any time. Most visitors spend between twenty minutes and an hour here. Mornings are quieter, and late afternoon is best for light. In summer, it is a good place to stop in the early evening, when the heat softens. During Ramadan and on Fridays, expect larger crowds of worshippers around prayer time.
Combining it with the rest of the old city
The Koutoubia is located at the western edge of the medina, about ten minutes’ walk from Jemaa el-Fnaa. From there, you can head south through the lanes to the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs and the El Badi Palace, which together make a classic day of monuments. Mid-afternoon is a good time for a break in a courtyard café before returning to the square for sunset.
The Koutoubia and your bike trip
The minaret is also a very useful landmark for cyclists. If you are riding or walking in Marrakech, you can use it as a compass point: when you can see the tower, you know roughly where you are. Many of our riders begin their trip with a short orientation ride or a day in the city before leaving for the Atlas. If you would like to see Marrakech by bike, our article on cycling in Marrakech gives advice on timing and routes, and our day rides from Marrakech show what is possible within an hour of the city.
When the mountains are calling, the road south over the Tizi n’Tichka begins only a few kilometres from the Koutoubia’s shadow. It makes a fitting symbol for a country in which the capital of an ancient empire sits at the foot of the Atlas, and where a short ride can take you from one world into another.
Final thoughts
The Koutoubia is a landmark in the fullest sense: a building you can see from afar, that tells you where you are, and that carries a thousand years of history in a single silhouette. You cannot go inside, but that is part of its character. Stand in the gardens, listen to the call to prayer, and watch the light change on the stone. It is a reminder that the best monuments are sometimes the ones you simply sit and look at.