The Kasbah Mosque was built by the Almohad sultan Yacoub al-Mansour at the end of the 12th century, at the same time as the Koutoubia and the Hassan Tower in Rabat. Its minaret — striped in green zellij at the top, plain ochre plaster below — is the most visible landmark of the southern medina and can be seen from the top of the Saadian Tombs as you leave. The mosque is active and entry is restricted to Muslims, but the exterior and the square in front of it are open to all.
The square immediately outside the mosque has the calm that distinguishes the Kasbah from the more tourist-intensive northern medina. Tea sellers and local men sit in the shade of the wall; cats patrol the lane beside the minaret. It is one of the few open spaces in the old city where the life around you is entirely local.