Attraction
Jardin Majorelle
Jacques Majorelle's cobalt-blue villa and cactus garden, later owned by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, with a museum of Amazigh culture inside the villa.
Koutoubia Mosque
Marrakech's largest mosque, founded by the Almohads in the 12th century, whose 77-metre minaret is the landmark visible across the medina.
At a glance
- Type
- Mosque and minaret
- Area
- Medina, Marrakech, Morocco
Good to know
- Gardens
- Free to view from outside
Why we recommend it
The Koutoubia is the great mosque of Marrakech and the landmark most people use to orient themselves. The Almohad caliph Abd al-Mu'min founded a first mosque here in 1147 after taking the city, then rebuilt it as the present structure around 1158. The minaret was probably completed under Yaqub al-Mansur around 1195. Its name refers to the booksellers who once traded around its base.
At about 77 metres, the stone minaret is the tallest structure in the medina and a model for later towers in Morocco and Spain. Each face carries a different pattern of carved arches and decorative panels, and a band of ceramic tiles survives near the top. Beside the mosque you can see the excavated foundations of the first Almohad mosque, which was replaced because it was misaligned with Mecca.
The Koutoubia is an active place of worship and non-Muslims cannot enter the prayer hall. That still leaves plenty to see. The gardens around it are free to walk and popular with local families in the early evening. The minaret is lit after dark, and hearing the call to prayer from the gardens at dusk is a memorable moment for many visitors.
There is no ticket and no fixed visit length; twenty to thirty minutes in the gardens is usually enough, though it is a pleasant place to sit. Dress modestly, as you would near any mosque, and be respectful during prayer times, when the surrounding area fills with worshippers. Photography of the exterior is fine, but avoid photographing people at prayer.
The mosque stands at the western end of Jemaa el-Fnaa, a few minutes' walk from the square, beside Avenue Mohammed V, the main road to Guéliz. It is an easy first stop on any medina day. The shuttle to Anima Garden leaves from the car park behind it, and the Cyber Park and the road to La Mamounia are a short walk away. Horse-drawn calèches wait on the square beside the gardens for rides around the ramparts, and petits taxis gather nearby for trips to Guéliz. The tower is also the most useful landmark if you lose your bearings in the souks: head towards it and you will reach Jemaa el-Fnaa.
Koutoubia Mosque FAQs
Can non-Muslims go inside the Koutoubia?
No. It is an active mosque, but anyone can walk in the gardens and see the minaret and the ruins of the earlier mosque.
How tall is the minaret?
About 77 metres, making it the tallest structure in the medina.
When was it built?
The first mosque was founded in 1147 and the present one was built around 1158, with the minaret finished around 1195.
Is there an entry fee?
No. The gardens and the exterior are free to visit.
When is the best time to visit?
Around dusk, when the minaret is lit and the call to prayer carries across the gardens.
How long should you allow?
Twenty to thirty minutes is enough to walk around the gardens and the old foundations.
How far is it from Jemaa el-Fnaa?
A few minutes' walk west of the square.