marrakech morocco mosque "elkotoubia"

The Koutoubia Mosque or Kutubiyya Mosque (Arabic: جامع الكتبية‎ Arabic pronunciation: [jaːmiʕu‿lkutubijːa(h)]) is the largest mosque in Marrakesh, Morocco. The mosque's name is also variably rendered as Jami' al-Kutubiyah, Kutubiya Mosque, Kutubiyyin Mosque, and Mosque of the Booksellers. It is located in the southwest medina quarter of Marrakesh, near the famous public place of Jemaa el-Fna.[1] The mosque is ornamented with curved windows, a band of ceramic inlay, pointed merlons, and decorative arches; it has a large plaza with gardens, and is floodlit at night.[2] The minaret tower, 77 metres (253 ft) in height, includes a spire and orbs. It was completed under the reign of the Berber Almohad Caliph Yaqub al-Mansur (1184 to 1199), and inspired other buildings such as the Giralda of Seville and the Hassan Tower of Rabat, which were built in the same period.[3][4][5][6] The mosque's minaret is considered an important landmark of Marrakesh.[7]