Italy to help restore 12th-century Tinmel Mosque

The Italian government agency, the Superintendence of Archaeology, has been entrusted with the restoration of the 12th-century Tinmel Mosque.

According to Italian media, the agency is sending one of its skilled architects, Aldo Giorgio Pezzi, to Morocco to help restore the historic site, heavily damaged by the September 2023 earthquake. 

This restoration stems from a partnership between the Italian Ministry of Culture and Morocco's Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs. The two ministries, with the help of the Italian embassy in Morocco, conducted a first joint assessment of the damage and discussed intervention strategies with mosque officials.

Architect Aldo Giorgio Pezzi, who was born and raised in Morocco, had already collaborated in the past as a restoration teacher at the traditional arts school of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca.

Three missions have taken place so far in the months of October, November and January by architect Pezzi, allowing for the sharing of provisional interventions for securing the mosque and recovering rubble, as well as outlining the overall recovery strategies of the monument.

Morocco's Minister of Habous and Islamic Affairs requested Italy's cooperation in the restoration and seismic consolidation of the Tinmel mosque, a request approved by Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano.

Architect Pezzi will have the role of coordinating the Italian technical support in the mosque's recovery.

Located in the village of Tinmel in Morocco's High Atlas Mountains, the Tinmel Mosque is built on the burial site of Ibn Tumart, the founder of the Almohad movement, and is considered an important example of Almohad architecture.