Religious Building · Marrakesh, Morocco
Koutoubia Mosque
The Kutubiyya Mosque or Koutoubia Mosque is the largest mosque in Marrakesh, Morocco. Built 1147.
Photo: Rol1000 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Marrakesh, Morocco |
|---|---|
| Type | Religious Building |
| Built | 1147 |
| Height | Height: 68 m |
| Coordinates | 31.6241° N, 7.9935° W |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Koutoubia Mosque is known for
The Kutubiyya Mosque or Koutoubia Mosque is the largest mosque in Marrakesh, Morocco.
About Koutoubia Mosque
The Kutubiyya Mosque or Koutoubia Mosque is the largest mosque in Marrakesh, Morocco. It is located in the southwest medina quarter of Marrakesh, near the Jemaa el-Fnaa market place, and is flanked by large gardens. The mosque was founded in 1147 by the Almohad caliph Abd al-Mu'min right after he conquered Marrakesh from the Almoravids.
History
The city of Marrakesh was founded around 1070 by the Almoravid dynasty to be their capital, but was captured in 1147 by the Almohads under their leader Abd al-Mu'min. While the Almohads decided to make Marrakesh their capital too, they did not want any trace of religious monuments built by the Almoravids, their staunch enemies, as they considered them heretics. They reportedly demolished all the mosques in the city, including the main mosque, the Ben Youssef Mosque, arguing that the Almoravid mosques were not aligned with the proper qibla (direction of prayer).
How to get there
| Nearest town | Marrakesh |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Menara Airport (RAK) |
| Distance from the airport | 2.5 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Marrakesh Menara Airport (RAK) · Marrakesh, Morocco · 2.8 miles away
- Ouarzazate International Airport (OZZ) · Ouarzazate, Morocco · 79.6 miles away
- Beni Mellal Airport (BEM) · Oulad Yaich, Morocco · 112.0 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Morocco
More religious buildings
Frequently asked questions
What is Koutoubia Mosque?
The Kutubiyya Mosque or Koutoubia Mosque is the largest mosque in Marrakesh, Morocco.
Where is Koutoubia Mosque located?
Koutoubia Mosque is in Marrakesh, Morocco. Its coordinates are 31.6241° N, 7.9935° W.
How do I get to Koutoubia Mosque?
The nearest town is Marrakesh, and the nearest airport is Menara Airport (RAK), about 2.5 miles away (straight line).
When was Koutoubia Mosque built?
Koutoubia Mosque was built 1147.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kutubiyya_Mosque — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1137533 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.