In the belatedly twelfth century , Sultan Yaqub al-Mansur , the 3rd Caliph of Almohad Dynasty that ruled over West Africa too Iberia , ordered the structure of a massive mosque too a minaret called Hassan Tower inward Rabat , the working capital missive of the alphabet urban center of Morocco. Yaqub al-Mansur had already built the iconic Koutoubia too El Mansouria mosques inward Marrakech too the kasbah of the Udayas. During his reign the empire flourished inward merchandise , architecture , philosophy too the sciences. His victorious armed forces campaigns against the Christians saw the institution of the Arabs for the root fourth dimension inward Morocco.
Yaqub al-Mansur’s latest projection was his most ambitious one. Hassan Tower was to last the tallest minaret inward the footing , too the adjoining mosque would induce got been the largest. This grand projection was to last the centerpiece of his novel working capital missive of the alphabet too a celebration of the Sultan’s victory over the Castilian Christians at Alarcos. Unfortunately , Yaqub al-Mansur died inward 1199 , too structure came to an abrupt stop simply 4 years afterwards it began.
Photo credit: Diana K/Flickr
Today , the incomplete minaret , the vast marble flooring , the surviving walls too some 200 columns quest the huge dimensions the mosque would induce got taken if finished. The mosque could induce got received upwards to xx ,000 worshippers at a fourth dimension , which was quite out of proportions to the size of its city. Only inward modern times did Rabat grew inward size too population. In those times , it was all the same a village.
Hassan Tower stands 44 meters tall , close one-half its intended summit of some fourscore meters. The outside of the rectangular minaret is ornamented alongside distinct patterns , each side sporting a dissimilar design. On the within , the tower is ascended yesteryear ramps instead of stairs which allowed animals to comport heavy stones too edifice materials needed for the structure of the higher business office of the tower. The ramps would induce got likewise allowed the muezzin to ride a Equus caballus to the travel yesteryear of the tower to upshot the telephone weep upwards to prayer.
Hassan Tower too the surrounding site was granted World Heritage Status inward 2012.
Photo credit: leodelrosa/Flickr
Photo credit: Marina Sanz Biendicho/Flickr
Photo credit: Andrzej Wójtowicz/Flickr
Photo credit: Steven C. Price/Wikimedia
Sources: Wikipedia / Rough Guides / Morocco World News