up front
mosques
aRounD
tHe woRLD
Koutoubia
mosque
marrakech, morocco
Derived from the arabic word ‘al Koutoubiyyin’, mean-
ing ‘librarian’, the Koutoubia mosque was built on the
site of an 11th century almoravid mosque and was com-
pleted during the reign of sultan Yacoub el mansour. in
the 12th century, traders would try to sell their manu-
scripts amidst the towering minaret of the Koutoubia
mosque; today tourists gather to witness this emblem
of marrakech.
Located near the Djemaa el Fna, the main square of
marrakech, the Koutoubia mosque is famed for its mag-
nificent minaret, the oldest of the three great almohad
minarets remaining in the world. standing at a stagger-
ing 221ft, it dominates the Djemaa el Fna square and can
be seen from much of the city. the minaret is topped
with copper balls, a traditional design in morocco. the
three globes are reputed to be made of pure gold, but
legend has it that the fourth was a gift from the wife
of Yacoub el mansour as penance for breaking her fast
during Ramadan. it is said that she had her golden jew-
ellery melted down to create the fourth globe.
the design of the Koutoubia minaret provided inspi-
ration to later towers, including the Hassan tower in
Rabat and the La Giralda in seville, as well as influenc-
ing moroccan architecture in general. l
www.emel.com | emel magazine 11
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