page_title: Lalla Aouda Mosque
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Lalla Aouda Mosque / History
caption_attribution_description: English: The minaret of Lalla Aouda Mosque, rising behind the ramparts of the imperial city of Meknes, as seen from Place Lalla Aouda.
context_page_description: The Lalla Aouda Mosque or Mosque of Lalla 'Awda is a large historic mosque in Meknes, Morocco. It was originally the mosque of the Marinid kasbah of the city, built in 1276, but was subsequently remodeled into the royal mosque of the Alaouite sultan Moulay Isma'il's imperial palace in the late 17th century.
context_section_description: The mosque was originally founded in 1276 CE by the Marinid sultan Abu Yusuf Ya'qub as the main mosque of the kasbah (citadel) which the sultan built that same year. It was thus originally known as the Mosque of the Kasbah (Jama' al-Qasba), whereas its current name (Mosque of Lalla Aouda) dates from the Saadian or Alaouite period (16th century or later). The name "Lalla Aouda" refers to Lalla Masuda, a waliya (saint) and the mother of the Saadian sultan Ahmad al-Mansur, to whom some accounts attribute the foundation of the mosque. 
  The remains of both the original Marinid kasbah and the original Marinid mosque have been heavily obscured due to the Alaouite sultan Moulay Isma'il's monumental construction projects in the late 17th century as part of his creation of a new imperial city in Meknes. He expanded or rebuilt the Lalla Aouda Mosque, with construction taking place between 1672 and 1678. It became the first mosque of his new imperial capital, integrated into the palace known as Dar al-Kebira. The vast square on the northwest side of the mosque, known today as Place Lalla Aouda, was originally the main mechouar of Moulay Isma'il's palace: a square for military parades and other ceremonies attended by the sultan and his officials, off-limits to the general public.
  Today the Dar al-Kebira palace is generally in ruins and overtaken by the houses of a residential neighbourhood among its remains, while Place Lalla Aouda is a public square. The mosque continued to undergo some work even in the 20th century and remains well-preserved.
caption: The minaret of the mosque rising behind the ramparts of the former royal palace, seen from Place Lalla Aouda.
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