Kasbah Mosque Marrakech

The Kasbah mosque, also called the mosque of El Mansour, was built between about 1185 and 1190 for Yaqub al-Mansur as the congregational mosque of the new royal quarter, and its minaret is the piece of it that matters visually: a square tower with a broad band of interlacing darj-w-ktaf network in relief across the upper part, set off with a wide frieze of turquoise and white zellige and merlons above. That combination - relief network, tiled band, merlon crest - became the standard for Moroccan minarets and is repeated from Rabat to the modern mosques of Casablanca. The mosque was heavily restored in the nineteenth century after a gunpowder explosion nearby damaged it. Non-Muslims cannot go inside, as with almost every working mosque in Morocco, so the visit is looking at the exterior from the square. The Saadian tombs are through a passage beside it.

What you actually see

• The template minaret - relief network, turquoise tile band and merlons, copied since.
• An Almohad foundation - built about 1185 for the new royal quarter.
• Nineteenth-century repair - restored after an explosion damaged the structure.
• Exterior only - as at nearly all working Moroccan mosques.

When to go

October to April; afternoon light on the tiled band. Half an hour.

Honest expectations

Non-Muslims cannot enter - the visit is the exterior. The square in front is busy and used for parking. Guides in the area are persistent. It is best combined with the Saadian tombs alongside.

Nearby

The Saadian tombs are through the passage beside it; Bab Agnaou is outside.