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- Destinations
- Africa
- Morocco
- Marrakech
- Koutoubia Mosque
Koutoubia Mosque
Towering over the labyrinthine streets and markets of Marrakech
is the city's principal landmark, the minaret of the Koutoubia
Mosque, known as the 'mosque of the booksellers' because of the
bazaar of the book traders that used to be nearby. The red stone
mosque was first built in 1147, but demolished and rebuilt in 1199
because it was not correctly aligned with Mecca. The mosque,
basically a massive prayer hall, has 17 aisles and 112 columns, and
room for thousands to pray within it. The ornately carved minbar
(pulpit) is believed to have been a gift from the Almoravid Sultan
Ali ben Youssef. The landmark minaret is 221ft (69m) high and
consists of six chambers one atop the other, ascended by a ramp
through which the muezzin ascends to the top balcony. The mosque is
closed to non-Muslims, but the area around is a favourite place for
an evening stroll.
Information & Facts
Admission
Language
Arabic is the official language, but eight other
languages are also spoken including Berber, French and Spanish.
English is generally understood in the tourist areas, but French is
the most widely spoken.
Money
The unit of currency is the Moroccan Dirham (MAD), which is
divided into 100 centimes. ATMs are available in the larger towns,
but can be unreliable; currency can be exchanged at banks or
official bureaux de changes, which are also widespread in major
towns. Dirhams cannot be obtained or exchanged outside Morocco and
receipts must be retained as proof of legal currency exchange, as
well as in order to re-exchange money when departing. Major credit
cards are accepted in the larger shops, hotels and restaurants.
Travellers cheques can be used in tourist areas, but are not
prevalent; they are best taken in Euros or Pounds Stirling.