Abdelhak Barhaki/Reuters
A photo showing the damage to an old mosque in the historic city of Marrakech by the Moroccan earthquake on September 9, 2023.
marrakech
CNN
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small mosque in the center marrakech medina Located in the city’s historic district, this area was an important place of prayer for the hundreds of merchants who worked in the bustling open-air market.
Entrance is now prohibited.
Located on a corner of the famous Djemaa El Fna Square, the mosque once had a beautiful tower decorated with white triangular decorations, but it almost completely collapsed in the strong earthquake that hit the area on Friday night. did.
The beautiful building is now almost unrecognizable. The ornate tower is almost completely gone, only a single stump of exposed brick sticking out of the rubble.
Outside the damaged mosque, local resident Zined Hatimi recalled the horrors of Friday night.
“People were praying inside and started running outside. No one stayed inside,” the 53-year-old man told CNN. Like many others, she was too scared to go home.
Mr. Hatimi, 53 years old, slept In a park in the center of Marrakech with the whole family including small children. She said she stayed with her because it got cold at night.
“Everyone was outside. The neighbors, everyone. They didn’t want to go inside, everyone was scared, the shaking was so strong,” she said.
On Friday, the medina of Marrakech, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was hit by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake, the strongest to hit the region in at least 120 years.
The Medina district dates back centuries and is surrounded by walls made of red sandstone. Earthquakes damaged most of these walls that once protected the city from danger. Long sections show deep cracks and parts have crumbled.
Many of the older buildings in the medina have been damaged, some completely destroyed. On Sunday morning, large piles of rubble were scattered nearby, and stray cats were scavenging for food. Some areas of the city were fenced off because old buildings were at risk of collapse.
The effects of the earthquake are still being felt outside of Marrakech. Images show that his 12th-century Timmar Mosque in the High Atlas Mountains was badly damaged.
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Images show the extent of damage left by the earthquake on the 12th-century Timmar Mosque, an important example of Almohid architecture.
This mosque is considered a prime example of Almohad architecture, which refers to the period when the Almohads ruled Morocco, Algeria, and parts of Spain.
Other buildings in Marrakech appear to have been evacuated largely unharmed.
Marrakech’s crown jewel, the Koutoubia Mosque, stood unscathed on Sunday morning despite video showing it shaking violently in an earthquake.
Away from the historic medina, its influence was barely noticeable in many of Marrakech’s modern areas. Cafes and restaurants were preparing to open on Sunday morning to accommodate tourists who decided to stay.