Koutoubia Mosque is a beautiful ancient, almohad style mosque built in 1157 (so yes over 800 years old) and still serves today as the largest mosque in Marrakech.
When: Muslim prayer times, especially Jummah on Fridays
Cost: free but sadaqah (small charitable donation) is highly recommended/expected
Who: Muslims are only allowed with the appropriate dress code (females covered head to toe)
Duration: as long as the prayer lasts and many people are seen hanging outside near the gardens/park
Tips: go enjoy the Friday prayer, although the khutbah is in Arabic, it's amazing to experience the prayer in an ancient mosque
My personal experience: We unfortunately missed Eid Al Kabir/Eid Al Adha prayer (because it's done right at dawn/Fajr) but we were thankfully able to do Friday prayer here. It's very easy to distinguish the female side from the males (just follow them in duh). There's bags for your shoes and the people are very welcoming. Although the khutbah/lecture was in Arabic (which I could not understand) it was very tranquilizing. When it was time for salah/prayer the ladies welcomed me to come stand with them in the front and we stood firmly shoulder to shoulder. They smiled after the prayer and this is where you could really wish you could speak the same language as the people, but a genuine smile and hug can convey the same message :)
