Tinmel Mosque

Where the Almohad empire began. Ibn Tumart, the religious reformer who launched the dynasty that built Marrakech's Koutoubia and Rabat's Hassan Tower, preached here in the 12th century. His successor, Abd al-Mu'min, built this mosque over his tomb. The mosque was destroyed by the Merenids and rebuilt several times. What you see is a restoration of a restoration — but the setting and the isolation are original. The High Atlas rises on every side; the Tizi n'Test road winds through the valley below. Few tourists make the trip. The interior is plain compared to later Almohad mosques — early dynasty architecture, before the empire's wealth funded elaborate decoration. The scale is modest. The power was in the ideas that spread from here, not the building that housed them. Best time: Any time (few visitors) Allow: 1 hour (plus drive) Combine with: Tizi n'Test pass drive