Best City Guides

Koutoubia Mosque

Towering over the labyrinthine streets and markets of Marrakech is the city's principal landmark, the minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque, known as the 'mosque of the booksellers' because of the bazaar of the book traders that used to be nearby. The red stone mosque was first built in 1147, but demolished and rebuilt in 1199 because it was not correctly aligned with Mecca. The mosque, basically a massive prayer hall, has 17 aisles and 112 columns, and room for thousands to pray within it. The ornately carved minbar (pulpit) is believed to have been a gift from the Almoravid Sultan Ali ben Youssef. The landmark minaret is 221ft (69m) high and consists of six chambers one atop the other, ascended by a ramp through which the muezzin ascends to the top balcony. The mosque is closed to non-Muslims, but the area around is a favourite place for an evening stroll.