The Koutoubia Mosque was built under the auspices of the 12th century Muslim Berber Almohad dynasty that ruled over most of North Africa, Spain, and parts of sub-Saharan West Africa. While travelling in the country, writer Edith Wharton observed that no later buildings in northwest Africa equal the monuments of the great Almohad sultans.

The Koutoubia was named after the sellers of manuscripts who gather in front of the mosque. Although hidden from view within the old town, its skyscraping minaret is unmissable as you enter the markets from Place Djemaa-el-Fna.

Topped by four copper globes, it contains an inner shaft with six vaulted rooms, one on each story, and a ramp to the top. The tower’s four facades display cusped arches, floral motifs, and carved stonework tracery, and its pink masonry bears traces of the blue, turquoise, and white frieze tiles that once adorned the top.