Rabat's must-see sight – along with the neighbouring mausoleum – this iconic tower looms 44m above the Bou Regreg estuary. It was originally part of an ambitious Almohad project to build the world's second-largest mosque (after Samarra in Iraq), but its patron Sultan Yacoub Al Mansour died before it was completed. The mosque was destroyed by an earthquake in 1755, and today only this tower and a photogenic forest of shattered stone pillars remains in testament to his grand plan.
Tour Hassan
Rabat
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Musée Mohammed VI Art Moderne et Contemporain
0.85 MILES
Conceived and funded by the present king, this museum opened in 2014 as the country's first national museum of modern and contemporary art. Alongside a…
1.05 MILES
First came the Phoenicians, then the Romans took control of this beautiful hilltop site above the fertile Bou Regreg river plain around 40 CE. From 1154,…
1.02 MILES
Rabat's historic citadel occupies the site of the original ribat (fortress-monastery) that gave the city its name. Predominately residential, its narrow…
0.12 MILES
The present king’s father (the late Hassan II) and grandfather were laid to rest in this marble mausoleum, which is decorated with exquisite examples of…
0.81 MILES
When the French arrived in the early 20th century, this walled medina by the sea was the full extent of the city. Built on an orderly grid in the 17th…
1.05 MILES
Small and relatively easy to navigate, this 13th-century walled medina retains an almost medieval flavour. It's visited on a regular basis by the city's…
1.23 MILES
Next to the Grand Mosque's magnificent entrance gate, this medersa (school for studying the Quran) is a showcase of Merinid architecture and decorative…
Museum of History & Civilisation
0.82 MILES
Reopened after a major renovation, this small but perfectly formed museum is split in to two sections – the first showcases the history of Morocco through…
Nearby Rabat attractions
0.12 MILES
The present king’s father (the late Hassan II) and grandfather were laid to rest in this marble mausoleum, which is decorated with exquisite examples of…
0.42 MILES
Still under construction at the time of research, but set to open in 2021, this space-age structure by the Bou Regreg River was designed by the late,…
0.63 MILES
With an architecturally interesting exterior, this bright white cathedral dates from 1919 but its two art deco–style towers were added in the 1930s. They…
0.67 MILES
Set on the banks of the Bou Regreg River, this low cubist structure hosts pop-up retail space for Moroccan designers, jewellers and artists. East along…
0.69 MILES
Recently restored, this covered souq at the eastern end of Rue Souika specialises in jewellery, rugs and leather goods, and is the only part of the medina…
6. Grande Mosquée de Rabat Medina
0.72 MILES
This mosque, a 14th-century Merinid original much rebuilt in the intervening years, is located just off the Souq As Sebbat. It is closed to non-Muslims.
0.81 MILES
When the French arrived in the early 20th century, this walled medina by the sea was the full extent of the city. Built on an orderly grid in the 17th…
8. Museum of History & Civilisation
0.82 MILES
Reopened after a major renovation, this small but perfectly formed museum is split in to two sections – the first showcases the history of Morocco through…