Wanloria › Destinations › Marrakesh › Koutoubia Gardens

Koutoubia Gardens

The Koutoubia Gardens lie along the sides of the great esplanade of the Kutubiyya Mosque, in the south-west of the Marrakesh medina, about 200 metres west of Jemaa el-Fna square and opposite Mohammed V Avenue. There is a rose garden to the west and south of the mosque, with walks among palms, orange trees and fountains. The Almohad minaret rises to about 77 metres, built of sandstone masonry and topped by copper spheres, the largest about two metres in diameter. On the esplanade you can see the remains of the first Kutubiyya Mosque, excavated since 1923, and fragments of that mosque's arcade still attached to the base of the minaret. The name comes from the Arabic word for "booksellers": there were once around a hundred book vendors in the streets at the foot of the mosque. From the gardens you can see the building only from the outside, as the mosque is reserved for Muslims.

Things to do at Koutoubia Gardens: 3 missions

• Find the rose garden to the west and southWalk round the mosque along its west and south sides and find the garden's rose beds.
• Frame the 77-metre minaret from the gardenFind a spot in the garden from which the minaret is framed by palms or orange trees and photograph it in full.
• See the remains of the first KutubiyyaOn the esplanade beside the mosque, look at the excavated remains of the first Kutubiyya Mosque and the arcade fragments attached to the base of the minaret.

Near Koutoubia Gardens

Source: Wikipedia - Koutoubia