| Grand Mosque of Chefchaouen | |
|---|---|
المسجد الأعظم | |
 The entrance and theminaret of the Grand Mosque, from Place Outa Hammam. | |
| Religion | |
| Sect | Sunni |
| Location | |
| Location | Chefchaouen,Morocco |
 Interactive map of Grand Mosque of Chefchaouen | |
| Coordinates | 35°10′6.35″N5°15′44.4″W / 35.1684306°N 5.262333°W /35.1684306; -5.262333 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | mosque |
| Style | Moroccan,Islamic |
| Founder | Moulay 'Ali ibn Rashid al-Alami or his son Moulay Mohamed ibn 'Ali ibn Rashid al-Alami |
| Established | late 15th or 16th century (1471 or after) |
| Minaret | 1 |
TheGrand Mosque of Chefchaouen (Arabic:المسجد الأعظم,romanized: masjid al-ʾaʿaẓam;[1] or الجامع الكبيرal-jama ʿal-kabir or الجامع الأكبرal-jamaʿ al-ʾakbar[2]) is the oldestmosque and the main historicFriday mosque ofChefchaouen,Morocco. It is located at the centralPlace Outa Hammam, near the city's historickasbah.
The mosque dates from the earliest period of the city after its foundation byMoulay 'Ali ibn Rashid al-Alami, but sources vary (or contradict each other) in citing the exact date of its foundation: some date it to 1471 (the date of the city's foundation),[1][3] another cites 1475-76 (880AH),[4] and others date it to the 16th century,[5][6] particularly under Moulay 'Ali's son Mohammed.[7] Itsminaret is believed to date from the late 17th century due to its octagonal shaft and overall similarity to the style of minarets built underAli ibn Abdallah Errifi (the governor ofTangier under SultanMoulay Isma'il) such as those of theKasbah Mosque of Tangier or theGreat Mosque of Asilah.[7]
The mosque also has amadrasa which historically offered lessons in religious sciences such asfiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and was accompanied by a dormitory for students.[1][7] As the city's mainFriday mosque, it was also the location where the local rulers or governors of Chefchaouen would pledge their allegiance to theSultan of Morocco and where the decrees of the latter were read publicly.[1] The mosque was restored in the 19th century and again in the 20th century (when the current portal of its main entrance was built).[7] It was most recently restored in 2006.[1]
The mosque occupies an area of around 130 square metres (1,400 sq ft).[7] It consists of a courtyard (sahn), an interior prayer hall, a minaret, a fountain, anablutions chamber, and a madrasa. the prayer hall is the largest component, consisting of a hypostyle hall with eight "naves" or aisles divided by rows ofhorseshoe arches running parallel to the southwestqibla wall.[7] Each nave is the width of six arches. The interior is generally undecorated, which is common for other mosques in the city. The hall is roofed with red tiles, in contrast to many of Morocco's mosques whose roofs have green tiles.[7]
The only decorated elements of the mosque are the exterior entrance and the minaret. The minaret, which has an octagonal shaft, is decorated in three tiers or registers, each featuring blind arches with either plain round,polylobyed, orlambrequin profiles. The highest tier also features square panels filled withzellij tiles. Red ochre colour is used for some further decorative details along, while the top of the minaret iswhitewashed.[7]
