Marrakech, Morocco
Mosque in Marrakesh, Morocco
The Ben Youssef Mosque in the northern medina is one of the oldest and most important mosques in Marrakech. It is named after the Almoravid ruler Ali ibn Yusuf (reigned 1106 to 1142), who built a grand congregational mosque here, known as the Masjid al-Siqaya, the mosque of the fountain, to serve as the young city's main mosque. Before him, his father Yusuf ibn Tashfin had built the first mosque in Marrakech, and chroniclers say he mixed the mortar with his own hands. Almost nothing of the Almoravid building survives. It was rebuilt several times, and the present mosque dates from a reconstruction completed in 1819 to 1820 under the Alaouite sultan Moulay Sulayman. The surviving Almoravid monument nearby is the Almoravid Qubba, one of the rarest examples of the dynasty's architecture. The mosque stands beside the famous Ben Youssef Madrasa and library, a cluster that for centuries drew scholars and students from Morocco and al-Andalus, and the surrounding quarter is one of the most attractive in the medina.
It is a place of worship open to Muslim worshippers only, as with most mosques in Morocco; others can see the entrance and minaret from outside. Those entering to pray should dress modestly and remove their shoes; women use their own section. Next door are the Ben Youssef Madrasa, the Almoravid Qubba and the Marrakech Museum, all a few steps away.
Hours and prices change — check before you go. Source: en.wikipedia.org
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ParkMarrakech, Morocco
