Tour Hassan et Mausolée Mohammed V

In 1195, the Almohad sultan Yacoub al-Mansour began building a mosque intended to become the largest in the western Muslim world — a 60-meter minaret and a prayer hall for 44,000 worshippers. Work stopped abruptly at his death in 1199: the minaret, the Hassan Tower, reached only 44 meters, less than three-quarters of its planned height. It is one of the three Almohad 'sisters,' alongside the Koutoubia in Marrakech and the Giralda in Seville, built by the same architects.

On the neighboring esplanade, the bases of some 200 columns that were meant to support the prayer hall still stand in rows — some damaged by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. Facing the tower, the Mohammed V Mausoleum, built between 1961 and 1971 in white marble and topped with a green tiled roof, houses the tombs of King Mohammed V, father of Moroccan independence, and his sons Hassan II and Moulay Abdallah. It is permanently guarded by royal guards in traditional dress, among the most photographed figures in Morocco.

Unlike many Moroccan religious buildings, the mausoleum is open to all visitors, including non-Muslims — modest dress (covered shoulders and knees) is expected. The site has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012, as part of 'Rabat, Modern Capital and Historic City.'