The mosque was built in 1342 under the Marinid sultan Abu al-Hasan and was considerably restored under the Alaouite sultan Moulay Slimane. Only the minaret and the mosque entrance are still essentially in their original Marinid form; the rest of the mosque generally dates from the Alaouite restoration.
Location and origin of name
The mosque is located on Tala'a Kebira, the main souq street and artery of Fes el-Bali, the old city of Fez, from which its minaret is prominently visible. The surrounding district is also referred to as Chrabliyine, a name which refers to a type of traditional Moroccanwomen's shoe called "cherbil" in which the localshops specialized.
The mosque is considered notable for its minaret, which is particularly well-decorated in the medieval Moroccan-Andalusian style, making use of the darj-w-ktaf or sebka pattern covering much of the facades, as well as polylobed arch motifs near the base, merlons at the top, and multicolored mosaic tiles that fill in the empty spaces. One of these tile mosaics, on the side of the minaret overlooking the interior courtyard, features a notable inscription in the "square" kuficstyle. The main street entrance to the mosque is directly below the minaret and is overlooked by a canopy of carved wood. The street facade of the building also includes spaces for two shops.
Interior and layout
The interior of the mosque features a rectangular courtyard that can be accessed directly from the street entrance and which is flanked on either side by annexes. The courtyard, like that of many mosques, features a marble fountain in its center, while on its north/western side is also an entrance to an ablutions room. On its southern/eastern side is the prayer hall, featuring two transverse naves formed by rows of five horseshoe arches parallel to the qibla wall. The mihrab, a decorative alcove or niche in the qibla wall that symbolizes the direction of prayer, is a small octagonal space topped by a dome of muqarnas. On either side of the mihrab are two small doors leading to other rooms. The eastern one connects to a "mosque of the dead" or funerary mosque, a space used for funerary rites and prayers around the bodies of the deceased before they are buried. Both this funerary space and the main prayer hall can also be accessed by smaller secondary entrances from the street on the eastern side of the building.
