Almohad Architecture: Koutoubia, Hassan Mosque & Giralda
Koutoubia Mosque, Marrakech
(Also known as the Mosque of the Booksellers)
Architectural Features
- Style: Almohad
- Arches: Pointed horseshoe arches are prevalent. The most elaborate, adjoining the qibla nave, are lambrequin (polylobed) arches. The arch of the axial nave is a slightly pointed horseshoe arch with a scalloped effect (similar to lambrequin arches).
- Decoration: Includes scalloping and tracery. Plaster decoration on the arch intrados features networks of diamonds (sebka).
- Mihrab: Inspired by the Great Mosque of Cordoba. Blind arches or openings connect to the area above the mihrab.
- Vaults: Features stalactite vaults (muqarnas), an influence from the East.
- Materials: Brick and plaster, with painted plaster or stucco exteriors.
Construction History
The mosque has an unusual floor plan. In 1147, Caliph Abd al-Mu’min commissioned the first mosque. However, its qibla wall (indicating the direction of prayer) was found to be misaligned. Consequently, it was demolished in 1158, and a second, correctly oriented mosque was built adjacent to the first site.
Interior Details
- Layout: Features a T-plan, typical of Almohad mosques, where the central (axial) aisle and the aisle parallel to the qibla wall are emphasized. This mosque has 17 aisles in total; the central and outermost lateral aisles are wider. Domes mark the intersection of the emphasized aisles.
- Aisle Emphasis: Further enrichment includes additional arches near the qibla, creating prominent lines and emphasizing five aisles in this area.
- Courtyard Extensions: The aisles extend into the courtyard as galleries (riwaqs), creating crisp, undecorated volumes.
- Ceilings: The axial aisle and the two adjacent aisles are compartmentalized into smaller spaces covered with intricate wooden artesonado ceilings (trusses with strapwork, resembling troughs).
- Arches & Supports: Pointed horseshoe arches are framed by rectangular panels (alfiz). Support is provided by pillars that incorporate columns.
- Decoration: Stucco decoration is generally minimal, reflecting Almohad sobriety and austerity. However, the qibla wall features lambrequin and lobed arches. Vault bases are decorated with plasterwork featuring relief ribbons, polygons, etc.
- Mihrab Details: The mihrab resembles the one in Tinmal, with a scalloped arch. This arch is flanked by two columns with blue and pink marble capitals, possibly referencing Cordoba.
Minaret and Exterior
- Minaret: The mosque boasts an important minaret, similar in style and period to the Giralda in Seville.
- Entrances: Exterior doorways showcase the primary building materials and feature horseshoe and lobed arches.
- Roofing: Green ceramic tiles are used on the roof, marking an emerging feature in the architecture of the period.
Hassan Mosque, Rabat
Overview
Commissioned in the late 12th century by Caliph Yaqub al-Mansur, the Hassan Mosque remained unfinished upon his death in 1199. This grand structure was intended to commemorate the Almohad victory over the Castilian Christians at the Battle of Alarcos (1195). It expresses great monumentality and ambition.
Design Characteristics
- Materials: Unusually for the region at the time, it is constructed primarily of sandstone, not brick.
- Supports: Uses numerous stone columns instead of the more typical brick pillars.
- Layout: Repeats the Almohad T-plan layout, though with variations. It was designed with 21 aisles. Three aisles run parallel to the qibla wall, forming the crossbar of the ‘T’, along with the wider axial aisle. Aisles were planned to extend as riwaqs into the vast courtyard.
- Courtyards: Includes rectangular side courtyards within the prayer hall (haram), placed symmetrically, possibly intended to provide light.
- Minaret: The large, unfinished minaret, known as the Hassan Tower, strongly resembles the Koutoubia minaret and the Giralda.
- Domes: The mosque appears to have been planned without domes over the prayer hall.
The Giralda, Seville (Spain)
Almohad Context
The Giralda is the celebrated bell tower of the Seville Cathedral, originally built as the minaret for the Great Mosque of Seville during the Almohad period. In 1172, the Almohad capital shifted from Marrakech to Seville, leading to significant development in Al-Andalus. Improvements included the construction of this new Great Mosque (replacing an earlier one) and renovations to other public buildings. The Giralda minaret was completed in 1198.
It forms a trio of significant, closely related Almohad minarets with those of the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech and the Hassan Tower in Rabat. While the mosque itself was later demolished to make way for the cathedral, the magnificent minaret was preserved and adapted.