Hassan Tower and more in Rabat

The boulevard (Mohammed V) leading from our apartment to the train station.

The Hassan Tower is a minaret tower of an incomplete mosque that was commissioned in 1195. The tower reaches 140 feet, about half its intended height. A number of columns were constructed and the beginnings of several walls exist. When we visited, it was being set up for a very large audience with the Pope on his visit to Rabat on the weekend, and we couldn’t enter the gates.

We enjoyed an early evening stroll along the waterfront and ended up going back through the bazaar to spend some time people watching while sipping mint tea!

PS

Fast forward to Marrakech and Koutoubia Mosque, resembling Hassan tower because Koutoubia was its inspiration.

Koutoubia Mosque is the largest mosque in Marrakech. The minaret, 77 meters (253 feet) high, includes an arrow and orbs. It was completed under the reign of the Berber Almohad caliph Yaqub al-Mansour (1184-1199), and inspired other buildings such as the Giralda of Seville and the Hassan Tower of Rabat. It is surrounded by a large square and pleasant gardens.

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