Morocco earthquake: the magnificent historic mosque of Tinmel seriously damaged

Its violent nocturnal tremors will have spared nothing, neither human life, nor nature, nor habitat, the very strong earthquake which hit Morocco hard, reducing entire villages in the High Atlas to ruins, has also disfigured the beauty of the architectural heritage of the kingdom.

Classified to the world heritage ofUNESCOthe magnificent Tinmel mosque, erected in the 12th century on the historic site where Ibn Tumart, the founder of the Almohad community, was buried, stood proudly in the High Atlas mountains, until that disastrous night of September 8, 2023.

Considered a remarkable example of Almohad architecture, visited each year by thousands of amazed tourists and pilgrims, who come to admire the splendor of its arches, columns, mosaics and frescoes, the majestic mosque, on which the time had no hold, did not withstand a cataclysmic earthquake.

Interviewed by Al-Jazeera, Nadia Al-Borqadi, director of the region’s Department of Antiquities and Museums, said: “ The earthquake caused significant damage to parts of the Tinmel Mosque, and this will be assessed in detail later. Currently, due to the difficulty of accessing the site, it is not easy to access the mosque. »

Tinmal mosque before and after 📷
Tinmal is a 12th-century mosque located in the village of Tinmel in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Although no longer operating as a mosque today, its remains are preserved as a historic site. It was built at the site where Ibn Tumart, the… pic.twitter.com/Hw9q1mCY29

— Kinetik (@KinetikNews) September 10, 2023