Koutoubia Mosque
Also known as: Koutoubia Mosque
mosque in Marrakesh, Morocco
Key facts
- Built
- 1147
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Overview
This text was compiled from sourced information with AI assistance and has not yet been reviewed by an editor. Please report any errors.
The Koutoubia Mosque is the largest mosque in Marrakesh, Morocco. It stands in the southwest of the city, close to the Jemaa el-Fnaa square, and is surrounded by extensive gardens. Regarded as an important example of Maghrebi and Moroccan architecture, it is protected as Moroccan cultural heritage and forms part of a World Heritage site. Its minaret, roughly 77 metres tall, is the building's most prominent feature. The name refers to the "Kutubiyyin", the booksellers, after a market for books and manuscripts that once stood nearby, so the mosque is sometimes described as the Mosque of the Booksellers.
History
This text was compiled from sourced information with AI assistance and has not yet been reviewed by an editor. Please report any errors.
The mosque is recorded as having been built in 1147 on the orders of the Almohad ruler Abd al-Mu'min ibn Ali al-Kumi. German-language sources place the structure in the second half of the 12th century and count it among the oldest mosques in Morocco.
The nearby market of booksellers, from which the mosque takes its name, was burned during the period of French colonial rule in Morocco.
In 2023 the upper part of the minaret was damaged by the Al Haouz earthquake and was subsequently restored.
From Wikipedia
The Kutubiyya Mosque or Koutoubia Mosque (Arabic: جامع الكتبية Arabic pronunciation: [ˈdʒaːmiʕu‿lkutuˈbijːa(h)]) is the largest mosque in Marrakesh, Morocco. It is located in the southwest medina quarter of Marrakesh, near the Jemaa el-Fnaa market place, and is flanked by large gardens.
The mosque was founded in 1147 by the Almohad caliph Abd al-Mu'min right after he conquered Marrakesh from the Almoravids. A second version of the mosque was entirely rebuilt by Abd al-Mu'min around 1158, with Ya'qub al-Mansur possibly finalizing construction of the minaret around 1195. This second mosque is the structure that stands today. It is an important example of Almohad architecture and of Moroccan mosque architecture generally. The minaret tower, 77 metres (253 ft) in height, is decorated with varying geometric arch motifs and topped by a spire and metal orbs. It likely inspired other buildings such as the Giralda of Seville and the Hassan Tower of Rabat, which were built shortly after in the same era. The minaret is also considered an important landmark and symbol of Marrakesh.
Source: Wikipedia, article “Kutubiyya Mosque”; quoted unchanged under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Read more on Wikipedia ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sources
Wikipedia (ar): https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%B9_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%AA%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9
Wikipedia (de): https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koutoubia-Moschee
Wikipedia (en): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kutubiyya_Mosque
Wikipedia (es): https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezquita_Kutub%C3%ADa
Wikipedia (fa): https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AC%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%A8%DB%8C%D9%87
Wikipedia (fr): https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosqu%C3%A9e_Koutoubia
Wikipedia (id): https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masjid_Koutoubia
Wikipedia (ru): https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D0%BB%D1%8C-%D0%9A%D1%83%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%B8%D1%8F
Wikipedia (tr): https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kutubiyye_Camii
Wikipedia (ur): https://ur.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AC%D8%AF_%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%A8%DB%8C%DB%81