If you’re planning a trip to Morocco, make sure to include a visit to its capital city, Rabat. Several historical sites and ancient monuments enrich the architectural landscape of the capital. Rabat is home to several important monuments that are worth exploring. If you’re planning a trip to Morocco, be sure to add the Hassan Tower in Rabat to your itinerary.
The Hassan Tower is a historic site that has stood tall for centuries. This towering minaret is not just a symbol of Rabat but also a testament to the city’s rich cultural heritage. The Hassan Tower is now one of the most prestigious historical monuments in Morocco.
Hassan Tower in Rabat, Morocco
Historical Context and Commissioning
Hassan Tower or Tour Hassan (Arabic: صومعة حسان) is the minaret of an incomplete mosque in Rabat, Morocco. Although the tower and the mosque were commissioned by Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur, the monument is known as the "Hassan" Tower or the al-Hassan Mosque. The patron who constructed the Hassan Tower is Yaqub al-Mansur, ruler of the Almohad Caliphate, a Berber Muslim empire in the Maghreb and Iberia. It was commissioned by Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur, the third caliph of the Almohad Caliphate, near the end of the 12th century.
Al-Mansur had made the decision to construct a new fortified imperial capital, called al-Mahdiyya or Ribat al-Fath, on the site of what is now the medina (old city) of Rabat, with new walls extending over a vast area beyond the old Kasbah. The mosque was considered the cornerstone for establishing a new Muslim city. It was the first edifice to be erected at the center of a larger project that would include other surrounding buildings.
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Design and Architecture
Soaring 44 meters into the sky, the Hassan Tower is an ultimate example of the breathtaking Moroccan Almohad architecture. This rectangular edifice, which was intended to be 88-meters high, reflects the reverence, which Moroccans had for mosques since the advent of Islam. Towering above the Bouregreg River, the sandstone Hassan Tower measures 16 meters from each side and is ornamented from the exterior with magnificent Islamic calligraphy.
From the inside, the tower is ascended by ramps instead of stairs, which mirrors the architectural genius of the minaret. They allowed to use animals to carry heavy stones and building materials needed for the construction of the higher part of the tower. The main element of the mosque, the open courtyards, was planned to be three parallel structures flanking the qibla mihrab.
Tradition says that Hassan Tower was commissioned by Yacoub EL Mansour and designed by an architect named, Jabir, who modeled it on the minaret of Koutoubia that he had designed earlier. Hassan Tower, the Koutoubia minaret and the Giralda tower are three sister towers that strikingly embody the same features, which distinguish the Almohad minarets, notably the rectangular shape, the Islamic enchanting calligraphy and the unified design. Today’s Giralda Cathedral in Seville was once a great mosque founded by Yacoub El Mansour. Its minaret, which still keeps the same Islamic calligraphy as Hassan Tower, was one of the highest buildings in the world.
Tour Hassan Vacation Travel Video Guide
The Unfinished Mosque
The tower was intended to be the largest minaret in the world, and the mosque, if completed, would have been the largest in the western Muslim world. The mosque's total dimensions were enormous for the time: 183 by 139 meters (600 by 456 ft). If completed, it would have been the largest mosque in the western part of the Islamic world, larger even than the Great Mosque of Cordoba. The mosque's perimeter was further enclosed by another wall that stood about 50 meters distant from the mosque itself on all sides except on the northern side where it stood over 100 meters distant.
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Present-day remains of the walls and columns of the unfinished mosque. The walls of the mosque were made of lime concrete on top of a rubble stone base. The interior of the mosque was in hypostyle format and was divided by rows of columns into 21 aisles running perpendicular to the qibla wall (the southern/southeastern wall in the direction of prayer).
Plan of the Hassan Mosque (Source: Discover Islamic Art)
Halt of Construction and Subsequent Events
Yacoub El Mansour, who ordered the building of all these monuments, was named EL Mansour Billah (victorious by Allah), following his crushing victory in the battle of Allarcos, 1165, over Castilian King Alfonso VIII. After Mansour’s death in 1199, construction of the Hassan mosque, which was almost materialized, came to a halt. In 1755, the hall of the mosque was destroyed by a violent earthquake whose epicenter was in the Portuguese city of Lisbon, which was raised to the ground.
Modern Transformations
In the 20th century colonial French and Moroccan archeologists excavated the site and carefully reconstructed what was left. In the 1960s the site of mosque's ruins was transformed to accommodate the construction of the Mausoleum of Mohammed V at its southeastern corner, alongside a modern mosque and another pavilion which occupy the rest of the southern side of the complex. With its lofty green dome, the Mausoleum is a successful combination of the modern architecture and the traditional historical architecture of Morocco. The modern mausoleum and mosque were designed by Vietnamese architect Cong Vo Toan and completed in 1971.
Mausoleum of Mohammed V near the Hassan Tower
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UNESCO Recognition
The tower and the site of the mosque was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on July 1, 1995, in the Cultural category.
Visiting the Hassan Tower
Visiting the Hassan Tower is a must for anyone interested in history or architecture. There are several car rental companies in the city, and most of them offer affordable rates. Among the interesting Hassan Tower facts is that entry to the minaret itself is not open to visitors due to its ancient architectural condition and lack of completion. However, you can wander freely around the outer courtyard, where you can get up close to the tower, admire its fine details, and take souvenir photos in front of this unique landmark.
Rules for Visitors
When visiting Hassan Tower, there are a set of rules that must be adhered to to preserve the sanctity and beauty of the place:
- Respect the silence: The site is a place of spiritual and historical significance. Therefore, maintain a calm atmosphere during your visit.
- Do not climb the ruins: Some of the remaining columns of the unfinished mosque may tempt some to attempt climbing, but this is prohibited for personal safety and the site.
- Appropriate clothing: As the venue is part of a religious and historical complex, modest clothing should be worn.
- Observe prayer times at the shrine: When visiting the adjacent shrine, do not disturb people during prayer times or official visits.
Nearby Attractions
Hassan Tower is surrounded by several historical and cultural landmarks that make visiting it a complete experience, including:
- Mausoleum of Mohammed V: It is one of Morocco’s most prominent national monuments.
- Kasbah of the Udayas: It’s an ancient historic kasbah surrounded by massive walls. The Kasbah is famous for its charming Andalusian gardens and blue-washed white houses overlooking the Bouregreg River.
- Bouregreg River: Offers great opportunities for hiking, scenic walks, and boating.
- Archaeological Museum of Rabat: Displays artifacts dating back to various periods, from the Roman to the Islamic eras, making it an interesting destination for history buffs.
- Old City: You can visit the old city and explore the traditional markets, narrow alleys, and historic buildings that reflect authentic Moroccan heritage.
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Original Name | Hassan Tower or Tour Hassan (صومعة حسان) |
| Location | Rabat, Morocco |
| Commissioned By | Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur |
| Architectural Style | Almohad |
| Original Height (Planned) | 88 meters |
| Current Height | 44 meters |
| Construction Start Date | 1195 AD |
| UNESCO Status | World Heritage Tentative List (July 1, 1995) |
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