Kutubiyya Mosque

De **Kutubiyya Mosque** anaa **Koutoubia Mosque** (Arabic: جامع الكتبية Arabic pronunciation: [jaːmiʕu‿lkutubijːa(h)]) be de largest mosque insyd Marrakesh, Morocco. Edey locate insyd de southwest medina quarter of Marrakesh, near de Jemaa el-Fnaa market place, wey ebe flanked by large gardens.

Na dem found de mosque insyd 1147 by de Almohad caliph Abd al-Mu'min right after he conquer Marrakesh from de Almoravids. Na dem entirely build a second version of de mosque by Abd al-Mu'min around 1158, plus na Ya'qub al-Mansur possibly finalize construction of de minaret around 1195. Dis second mosque be de structure wey dey stand today. Ebe an important example of Almohad architecture den of Moroccan mosque architecture generally. De minaret tower,  for height, dem decorate am plus varying geometric arch motifs wey dem top am by a spire den metal orbs. E likely inspire oda buildings such as de Giralda of Seville den de Hassan Tower of Rabat, wich na dem build shortly after insyd de same era. Dem sanso consider de minaret an important landmark den symbol of Marrakesh.

## Etymology

De mosque ein name dey derive from de Arabic word *kutubiyyin* (), wich dey mean "booksellers". De Koutoubia Mosque, anaa Bookseller's Mosque, dey reflect de bookselling trade dem practise insyd de nearby souk. For one time na as many as 100 book vendors work insyd de streets for de base of de mosque.

## Geography

De mosque dey locate about  west of de city ein Jemaa El Fna souq, a prominent market place wich na e exist since de city ein establishment. Edey situate for de Avenue Mohammed V, opposite Place de Foucauld. During French occupation, na dem develop de network of roads plus de mosque as de central landmark, insyd de *ville nouvelle*. To de west den south of de mosque be a notable rose garden, wey across Avenue Houmman-el-Fetouaki be de small mausoleum of de Almoravid emir Yusuf ibn Tashfin, one of de great builders of Marrakesh, wey dey consist of a simple crenelated structure.

Insyd de mosque ein esplanade, wich dey back onto Jemaa el Fna, dem fi see de ruins of de first Kutubiyya Mosque. A part of de perimeter of de Ksar al-Hajjar, na dem build de original stone fortress insyd 1070 by Abu Bakr ibn Umar, de Almoravid founder of de city, na he sanso uncover for de northern syd of de original mosque. Sanso be visible today for de northeast corner of dese ruins den insyd oda areas around de adjacent plaza be various remains dem attribute to de palace of Ali ibn Yusuf, dem build next to de fortress wey dem plete am insyd 1126, before na dem demolish am by de Almohads make dem make way for dema new mosque. Directly east of de current mosque be a 19th-century walled residence dem know as Dar Moulay Ali, wich now dey serve as de French consulate.

For de same esplanade top be a small white domed building, de **Koubba (anaa Qubba) of Lalla Zohra**. Dis be de tomb of Fatima Zohra bint al-Kush (dem sanso bell am Lalla Zohra), a female mystic wey die insyd de early 17th century wey na dem bury am hie near de mosque.

## History

### Almohad conquest den reform of Marrakesh
Na dem found de city of Marrakesh around 1070 by de Almoravid dynasty make e be dema capital, buh na dem capture am insyd 1147 by de Almohads under dema leader Abd al-Mu'min. While na de Almohads decide make dem make Marrakesh dema capital too, na dem no wan any trace of religious monuments wey de Almoravids build, dema staunch enemies, as na dem consider dem heretics. Na dem reportedly demolish all de mosques insyd de city, wey dey include de main mosque, de Ben Youssef Mosque, wey dem dey argue dat na de Almoravid mosques no be aligned plus de proper *[[qibla]]* (direction of prayer).

Since na de former Almoravid grand mosque (i.e. de original Ben Youssef Mosque) be already closely integrated into de surrounding urban fabric, na eno be practical for de Almohads make dem rebuild an entirely new mosque plus a significantly different orientation for de same site. Na ebe possible say dem no even demolish de mosque buh dem merely lef am derelict. Na de Almohads sanso fi wish make dem get de city ein main mosque wey dey locate closer to de kasbah de  royal palaces, as na ebe common insyd oda Islamic cities. As a result, na Abd al-Mu'min decide make he build de new mosque right next to de former Almoravid kasbah, de Ksar el-Hajjar, wich cam turn de site of de new Almohad royal palace, wey dey locate west of de city ein main square (wat today be de Jemaa el-Fnaa).

## References


## External links

* Koutobia Mosque entry at ArchNet (includes section of images with floor plan of mosque and photographs of its interior)
* Kutubiya Mosque page at Discover Islamic Art (includes picture of the upper chamber inside the minaret)
* 360-degree view of the area near the mihrab posted on Google Maps
* 3D model of the muqarnas cupola in front of the mihrab, by Almenara Blanca
* Manar al-Athar digital image archive (including a range of exterior photo angles)