Built 1000 years ago by order of Yusuf ibn Tashfin, an Almoravid emir, the Ben Youssef Mosque is Marrakesh’s oldest mosque and continues to be a place of worship today. Sadly, non-Muslims are forbidden from entering the mosque, but are free to admire its ancient and majestic structure from outside. Nonetheless, understanding its humble beginnings in what was once a fledgling city is still integral in deepening your appreciation for this mosque which holds a central place in the hearts of the Muslim Moroccans even till today.

Meant to function as a key religious site to serve the Muslims in Marrakesh, it was one of the first few buildings to be built from bricks. Apparently, Yusuf ibn Tashfin, the 5th Almoravid king, was involved in the construction of the original Ben Youssef Mosque. More specifically, the mixing of mortar and some of the bricks were laid by him. After the fall of the Almoravids, the ruling Almohad caliph Abd al-Mu’min had it completely demolished and rebuilt as the earlier structure was slightly misaligned with the Mecca. Having changed hands through the centuries, it finally came into the ownership of the ruling Alaouite sultan, Suleiman, who like his predecessor years ago, had the mosque completely rebuilt. While remnants of the Almoravid and Almohad architecture are long gone, the name of this mosque, the Ben Youssef Mosque, has proven to be long-lasting, sticking by since 1070, the year the original mosque was first built.

Situated in the medina quarter of Marrakesh, this great historical site with such a colourful past is truly unmissable.