The Koutoubia Mosque, Marrakech
Koutoubia Mosque is a special symbol of Marrakech and the highest mosque in the city. Its pretty minaret was completed in the 12 century during the reign of Khalifa Moulay Yacoub al-Mansur. The mosque is actually older than the tower, but had to be reconstructed because he was not facing the holy city of Mecca. The minaret is located beside the lovely Koutoubia garden with its orange trees, about 3 minutes walk from the famous Jemaa el Fna square. Unfortunately, it is not open for all public visitors because it’s still an active place of worship but you can enjoy a very interesting architecture from outside, especially at sunset. The tower is 77 meters high and visible through the old town, so you can use to return to the Medina if you are lost. The minaret Koutoubia Mosque has inspired several beautiful towers such as the Giralda in Seville and the Hassan Tower in the capital of Morocco.
The best time to visit the Koutoubia Mosque
The best time to visit the Koutoubia Mosque and Djemaa el Fna together is around 3 o’clock in the afternoon when most activities of the main square begin, here you walk along the narrow streets with colorful souvenir shops. If you’re in the nearby, I would recommend you to admire a walk around this wonderful attraction and its garden. There is also another beautiful mosque in the heart of old medina called Ben Youssef Mosque.
Many people often ask us whether a day will be enough to discover all that this city has to offer. The answer is actually depending on what interests you, because there are a lot of amazing things you can do in this town and also outside of the town, such as taking a day trip to the Valley Ourika in the High Atlas or visit the Ouzoud valley , thus a day or two will not be enough to visit all the famous spots, in any case if you have only one day to spend, it is better that you choose all the closer attraction in the Medina like Djemaa el Fna, Koutoubia Mosque, Majorelle Garden, Bahia Palace, the Museum of Marrakech, Saadian tombs, Menara gardens etc.
Originally published at www.desertmoroccoadventure.com on March 31, 2016.
