The short answer
Not if you are not Muslim. The Koutoubia's prayer hall is closed to non-Muslims, as are working mosques in Marrakech generally. You can see it from the outside and from the free gardens beside it. The 12th-century Almohad minaret, about 77 metres with its spire, is at its best at sunset and after dark, when it is floodlit.
In more detail
The visit itself is short: 20 to 30 minutes in the gardens and around the walls. The Koutoubia sits at the edge of the medina, about five minutes' walk west of Jemaa el-Fnaa, so it fits naturally into an evening in the square.
Its minaret is the landmark every view of Marrakech is measured against. You will see it from rooftop terraces across the medina, and hear the call to prayer from it at sunset.
If someone tells you the mosque is open to visitors today, or that a street to it is closed, keep walking. It is one of the common lines used to lead visitors to shops.
Good to know
- Walk the gardens at sunset, then go on to the square.
- Watch the minaret floodlit from a rooftop café after dark.
- Dress modestly near the mosque, especially at prayer times.
- It is a five-minute walk west of Jemaa el-Fnaa.