Marrakech is famous for the Kutubiya Mosque which is known for its books, manuscripts, libraries and book shops, hence the name of the Mosque; Kutubiya (booksellers). During the reign of Yakoub Al Mansor book printing and reading generally was encouraged to the extent that there were 100 book shops and libraries in one street alone, and so Abu Al-Muomin decided to build the Kutubiya Mosque adjacent to this street to emphasize the importance of reading.

Ground plan of Kutubiya Mosque in Marrakech – The building of the Kutubiya Mosque adopted the model already set in Tinmal. In this reconstructed ground plan of the first Kutubiya Mosque, which no longer exists, once can recognize 17 aisles, which run at right angles to the Qibla wall. In the second Mosque, which was erected a few years later 1158 immediately next to the first one but with a slightly altered orientation, the Almohads still retained the previous model and added a minaret.

The model of a nine-aisle Mosque following the prototype in Tinmal, with an obviously wider central aisle directed towards the mihrab, a distinct transept at right angles to the Qibla wall, and outer aisles opening onto the shorter sides of the forecourt, was adopted and extended here in the Kutubiya Mosques. This was already evident in the initial building phase of the "first" Kutubiya Mosque (1147), surviving today only in its foundations, which the Almohads chose to be the principal Mosque of the city. This edifice was over 90 meters (293 feet) long and nearly 58 meters (188 feet) deep, and consisted of 17 aisles, the outer four of which were extended beyond the north arcade, which is angled towards the courtyard.

This "first" Kutubiya Mosque was razed to the ground by the Almohads. It is possible that they were unable to make the necessary small correction to the orientation of the Mosque towards Mecca in accordance with their strict religious understanding and therefore decided to demolish the building. All the same, the Kutubiya Mosque is the principal Mosque in Marrakech representing the Almohads dynasty. A few years later (1158) a second Kutubiya Mosque was constructed next to the "first". By this time, the orientation towards Mecca had now been slightly adjusted and a minaret added.

This "second" Mosque has since then become a symbol of the city. The Minaret of the Mosque stands on a 12.5 meter (40 foot) square base and reaches a height of 77 meters (230 feet), completed in 1195 of Abed Al-Muomin's grandson Yakoub Al-Mansor, towers above the low roof of the prayer hall. A ramp inside leads up over seven domed floors to the platform. The square body of the minaret is surmounted by a lantern-shaped upper section, on which there is a dome decorated with a minaret crown in the form of three golden spheres. The sides of the minaret are broken at most floors with pairs of windows, which are framed with blind arches. An arcade of blind arches forms the upper section of the minaret, the curves of which are elongated beyond the points of the arches so that they intersect to form a grid, which is described as a Sebka ornament. Over the Sebka pattern stretches a broad band of masonry, which was once adorned with glazed Turkish tiles, some of which have survived to this day. They form a colorful focus to the otherwise very simple minaret.