The Almoravid Koubba, or Koubba Ba'adiyn, is the only building from the Almoravid period to survive almost intact in Marrakech, the city this dynasty founded in the 11th century. The city walls, raised at the same time, have been heavily altered since. This small domed pavilion was built under Sultan Ali ibn Yusuf, in 1117 according to the most widely accepted date. Worshippers from the neighbouring mosque used it for their ablutions. Buried under several metres of fill, it was rediscovered in the late 1940s and then uncovered by excavations. It stands on Place Ben Youssef, a short walk from the madrasa and the Marrakech Museum. The site is open every day from 9am to 5pm; a ticket costs 100 MAD for a foreign adult.
Highlights
The façade and the dome
The rectangular pavilion, about 7 m by 5 m, is topped with stepped merlons. Its façades are pierced with horseshoe and multifoil arches. Outside, the dome is carved with interlacing arches.
The sunken site
The monument sits at the bottom of a pit, several metres below the present level of the square. The drop shows how much the ground of the medina has risen since the 12th century. Stairs lead down to the foot of the pavilion.
The remains of the water system
Around the koubba, excavations uncovered latrines, basins, a vaulted cistern and the remains of a large public fountain with three arches. Water reached it through khettaras, underground channels, and then through bronze pipes.
The interior dome
Beneath the dome, the carved decoration combines pine cones, palms, acanthus leaves and shells. The four small corner cupolas bear some of the earliest muqarnas in Morocco. A badly damaged Arabic inscription names Ali ibn Yusuf; the year of construction can no longer be read.
Infos pratiques
Tips
A ticket costs 100 MAD for a foreign adult and 50 MAD for a foreign child aged 7 to 13; Moroccans and residents pay 30 MAD, or 10 MAD for a child (prices checked in October 2026). Entry is free for people with reduced mobility, and for Moroccans on Fridays and on the first day of national and religious holidays. The Ministry of Culture's online ticket office sells tickets, listed as "Coupole Almoravides". The visit is short: the pavilion and its surroundings take little time to see. From the railings on the square, you already get a good view of the façade and the dome without going in.
How to get there
Address: Place Ben Youssef, Marrakech medina, opposite the Ben Youssef Mosque On foot from Jemaa el-Fna square: about 15 minutes heading north through the souks On foot from the Ben Youssef Madrasa or the Marrakech Museum: 1 to 2 minutes Taxis do not drive through the souks: get dropped as close as possible and finish on foot
Opening hours
Nearby
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