An overview of Marrakech – Part 4

Places not to miss – continued,

Koutoubia Mosque and Minaret

The Koutoubia Mosque and the Minaret was built in 12th century and stands at just over70m high. It is the spiritual heart of Marrakech. Unfortunately, non-Muslims cannot enter, however the building itself is impressive to see from the outside.

Although access is denied to non-Muslims, one of the doors on the east wall is normally left open and you can see inside to get a view of the impressive main prayer hall and its seemingly endless arches. Also just across the road from the Koutoubia is the Pizzeria Venezia this has a rooftop terrace that affords you an excellent view of the mosque and minaret.

The minaret is the city’s most important monument. It towers above everything else and has always been the first sign of Marrakech for visitors approaching from a distance. The mosque is not only the city’s main place of worship, it is also one of the city’s oldest buildings. It dates back to the period just after Marrakech was founded. The designer of the Koutoubia minaret went on to create Tour Hassan in the Moroccan capital, Rabat and the tower of the Giralda in Seville.

The Koutoubia was started in 1158. Its name means the Mosque of the Booksellers, which is a reference to a small market that once existed in the neighbourhood, where worshippers could buy copies of religious tracts.

Minaret

The purpose of a minaret is to provide a high platform from which the muezzin can make the five times a day call to prayer. Instead of building a staircase to the top the Koutoubia’s minaret has a spiralling ramp wide enough for a horse to be ridden to the top. Originally the whole minaret was encased in tiles and carved stucco, but now only two shallow bands of blue ceramics are left.

The mosque plan

The mosque is rectangular in plan. The relatively plain main east entrance leads to a vast prayer hall with its eight bays and horseshoe arches. North of the prayer hall is a courtyard with fountains and trees.

Prayer times

The exact times of the daily prayers at the Mosque change with the seasons. However, they are observed during the periods of pre-dawn, noon, late afternoon, sunset and late evening, as indicated by the muezzin. The most important prayers of the week are those at noon on Friday.

Continued in part 5