We had already been to Marrakech several times without ever stopping at the Koutoubia, the largest mosque in the city. On Friday 26 June 2026, we went to discover it, through its gardens and its esplanade, and took the opportunity to join the Friday prayer there: the call to prayer, then the sermon, in this magnificent place.
- Where
- Marrakech, Morocco
- When
- Visited in June 2026
- On the programme
- 3 stops
- Updated
- 7 October 2026
At last, a stop at the Koutoubia
- Place
- Koutoubia Mosque · Open in Maps
We had already been to Marrakech several times, but we had never stopped at the Koutoubia. This time, we started with the gardens around it, on the Friday at around 13:00. The 77-metre minaret rises above the palm trees and the tall conifers. It was probably completed around 1195, under the Almohad caliph Yacoub al-Mansour.
In the garden, you'll notice a small white domed koubba: the mausoleum of Lalla Zohra.
The mosque is closed to non-Muslims; the minaret, the esplanade and the gardens can be seen from outside, with no ticket.
The call to prayer, then the sermon
Friday is the day of the main weekly prayer, so we took the opportunity to pray at the Koutoubia. At around 13:00, the esplanade was still almost empty, in full sun, with very little shade.
Then came the call to prayer, followed by the Friday sermon, which comes before the communal prayer.
“What a feeling, hearing the call to prayer and the Friday sermon in such a magnificent place!”
The esplanade after the prayer
At around 14:20, as the prayer ended, the esplanade had filled up: worshippers in white djellabas or in shirts were crossing it, between the mosque wall and the gardens.
To the right of the minaret, ruined brick walls have been uncovered. The first Koutoubia, built in the mid-12th century, stood to the north-west of the present mosque: its foundations were brought to light by excavations from 1923 onwards.
The next day, we set off for a day trip and an evening in the Agafay desert.
After several stays in Marrakech, we finally took the time to stop at the Koutoubia: the gardens, the esplanade, then the Friday prayer. To see it, there's nothing to book: the minaret, the esplanade and the gardens can be seen from outside, with no ticket.
Our tips before you go
- On Fridays, the day of the main weekly prayer, the esplanade fills up as the prayer ends: almost empty at around 13:00, it was packed at around 14:20.
- In June, at around 13:00, the esplanade is in full sun: bring hats, water and sun cream.
- The mosque is open to Muslims only; the minaret, the esplanade and the gardens can be seen from outside, with no ticket.
