Great Mosque of Asilah

The Great Mosque of Asilah stands inside the walled medina on the Atlantic coast of northern Morocco, and it is the main congregational mosque of the old town. Asilah was in Portuguese hands from 1471 to 1550 and again briefly under Spain in the late 16th century, before returning to the Moroccan state in 1691 under Sultan Moulay Ismail. The mosque belongs to the period of Moroccan resettlement and reconstruction of the medina after the Portuguese and Spanish departures, when mosques, houses and public buildings were re-established along Moroccan lines. Like other mosques of the north, it is built in the local Andalusian-influenced tradition, with a prayer hall, an ablution area and a minaret that rises above the whitewashed rooftops. The minaret serves as a landmark within the dense medina and can be glimpsed from several lanes and from the ramparts. Non-Muslims cannot enter the prayer hall, so visitors see the exterior and the doorways from the street. The mosque is an active place of worship and is maintained by the religious endowments authority, with periodic repairs to roofing, tilework and the minaret. Its condition is good, and the surrounding whitewashed lanes, many decorated with blue trim and murals from the Asilah Arts Festival, provide an attractive setting. A visit fits naturally into a stroll through the medina, with stops at the ramparts, Bab el-Kasbah and the artisan shops nearby. Visitors should dress modestly and keep respectful distance during prayer times.