Koutoubia Mosque (Marrakech)

Morocco / Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz / Marrakech, Marrakesh / Marrakech

The Koutoubia Mosque (Arabic: جامع الكتبية‎) is the largest mosque in Marrakech, Morocco. The minaret was completed under the reign of the Almohad Caliph Yaqub al-Mansur (1184-1199) and was used as the model for the Giralda of Seville and for the Hassan Tower of Rabat.
The name is derived from the Arabic al-Koutoubiyyin for librarian, since it used to be surrounded by sellers of manuscripts. It is considered the ultimate structure of its kind. The tower is 69 m (221 ft) in height and has a lateral length of 12.8 m (41 ft). Six rooms (one above the other) constitute the interior; leading around them is a ramp by way of which the muezzin could ride up to the balcony. It is built in a traditional Almohad style and the tower is adorned with four copper globes.
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Coordinates:   31°37'25"N   7°59'36"W
This article was last modified 14 years ago