Safi – As part of Marrakech Heritage Days, Marrakech’s El Badi Palace is hosting two heritage exhibitions dedicated to the Almohads, the 12th-century dynasty behind some of Morocco’s most significant Islamic architecture, tracing its legacy through two of its most emblematic mosques.
The first in Tinmel, the mosque in the high Atlas of Al Haouz province, closely tied to the birth of the Almohad movement in the 12th century.
The exhibition lays out its religious, scientific and political importance. But it does not stop at history.
It also addresses the damage the mosque suffered in the Al Haouz earthquake, and the work under way to restore and protect it for future generations.
The second turns to the Koutoubia, the great mosque of Marrakech built under the Almohad caliph Abd al-Mu’min.
Its minaret became an architectural reference, inspiring major monuments in Morocco and beyond, while the exhibition explores the craftsmanship and engineering that shaped it.
The two shows draw on a wide range of material: photographs, rare historical documents, Almohad archaeological finds, maps and architectural plans, audiovisual presentations, multilingual panels and an interactive digital space on the Almohad state.
Both are a part of a wider program, the “Monuments et Sites du patrimoine spirituel de Marrakech et ses environs” series (Monuments and Sites of the Spiritual heritage of Marrakech and its Surroundings) as well as Marrakech’s Heritage Days.
They share the same goal: to deepen awareness of Morocco’s heritage, highlight Almohad architecture, and connect younger generations with the country’s history, while also advancing academic interest and encouraging further research into its architectural past.
