Hassan Tower

The Hassan Tower of Rabat is a stunning medieval tower and a UNESCO World Heritage Site demonstrating some of the most beautiful periodic Moroccan architecture. The hues at dawn and dusk make for stunning pictures and are an ideal time to visit the site. As the tower is part of a mosque, remember to dress respectfully, covering your shoulders to the knees. Avoid visiting on a Friday as the area would be busy due to the weekly prayers in the mosque.

Intended to be double its current size, the tower has six levels, with a single room on each, all connected by ramps to provide the muezzin access to the top via a horse for the prayer calls. The structure reflects Islamic architectural styles in the form of beautiful sebka panels and the joint columns carved into the pillars. The red sandstone building of Sawm’at Hassan or Hassan tower has a height of 44 m. It was not until the 20th century that the remnants of the Hassan tower were excavated by French and Morrocan archaeologists and reconstructed. The tall shaft is a beautiful blend of Moroccan and Spanish architectural styles. It goes back to the period of the caliphates, right in the 12th century. Though originally, the historical minaret was set out to be the largest mosque in the world, its construction was brought to a standstill after the death of al-Mansur in 1199.