Hassan Tower
The Hassan Tower (French tour hassan; Arab صومعة حسان, DMG Sauma ʿ at Hassan ) is the unfinished minaret of the Great Mosque also unfinished in Rabat, Morocco.
History
Work on the mosque was commenced under the Almohad ruler Yaqub al - Mansur the late 12th century; after his death ( 1199 ) the construction forever been set. The large parts of the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa comprehensive Almohadenreich disintegrated and the city of Rabat rapidly lost importance, regained it only in the French colonial period and after independence of Morocco (1956).
Architecture
Mosque
The built of rammed earth exterior is the fundamental dimensions of 180 × 139 meters greater than all other mosques in the Maghreb - bigger even than the Great Mosque of Córdoba ( 175 × 128 meters). The mosque was very likely - based on the most important mosques in the Muslim West (Córdoba, Kairouan ) - designed as a column mosque, said more than 300 stone columns, however - in the absence of the ancient monolithic spoils previously used - from parts ( column drums with clamping imposts ) are composed. For lighting and ventilation of the great mosque space three comparatively large open courtyards were planned, but by far the largest area should be reconsidered and serve as a prayer hall for about 50,000 worshipers. The nave is slightly broadened in comparison to the aisles; instead of - as is common - each transept facing the Qibla wall were planned three.
Minaret
The built of dressed stone minaret with its ramps inside rises exactly opposite the planned mihrab niche - an exception among the Moroccan mosques, where usually a corner location of the minaret is observed. In view of the basic dimensions of just 16 x 16 meters, a total height of minaret of over 80 meters should be achieved - its present height is only 44 meters. As with all early minarets of the Maghreb, the lower portion of the tower shaft is undecorated; the center area displays differently shaped blind arches, but - are arranged at the same height - other than at the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech. The upper area should be covered completely and uniformly with a potentially infinite diamond pattern that develops from incessantly intersecting arches that rest on small little columns. Only at the Minaret the Kasbah mosque in Marrakech a completely uniform ornamental design of the tower was realized.
Importance
The Great Mosque of Rabat had clearly exceeded its dimensions with all other mosques in the Maghreb - a clear sign of the great power of the Almohads claim during its heyday. The massive complex is a symbol of the city of Rabat and a popular destination for Moroccans and tourists nowadays.
To the east of the mosque complex was in the 1960s the mausoleum of Mohammed V ( 1956-1961 ), first king of Morocco to the end of the colonial period, planned and built by the Vietnamese architect Vo Tuan. His son and successor, Hassan II (1961-1999) is buried here.