Mouassine Mosque

The Mouassine Mosque is a 16th-century Saadian mosque complex in the historic medina of Marrakesh, Morocco. The site is part of a broader civic complex that historically included a library, a madrasa, a public fountain and a hammam.

Architectural highlights include the mosque’s courtyard, the prayer hall and the mosque’s minaret, together with the adjacent public fountain which served both ritual and civic needs. The complex illustrates Saadian urban planning within the medina.

The mosque was built during the Saadian period in the 1500s as part of royal-sponsored urban development and has undergone restoration and maintenance in subsequent centuries. It has remained an integral religious and civic element of the medina.

The Mouassine complex stands in the central medina of Marrakesh, within walking distance of Jemaa el-Fnaa and the city’s major souks.

• Visiting tips: Part of a larger Saadian-era civic complex, the mosque and its fountain are within the medina of Marrakesh and are best visited outside of Muslim prayer times.
• Historical note: The complex dates from the 16th century and is one of several Saadian foundations that reshaped the medina's streets and amenities.

What to See #

• Mouassine complex - madrasa and library: A Saadian-era mosque complex dating to the 16th century that originally included a madrasa, library, hammam and public fountain as part of a civic religious foundation.
• Mouassine Fountain: A public fountain and ablutions area in front of the mosque that formed part of the urban water and social infrastructure.
• Prayer hall and minaret: A traditional enclosed prayer hall and minaret typical of Moroccan mosques, set within the narrow streets of the medina.