Page 130 - Off the Tourist Trail - 1000 Unexpected Travel Alternatives (Part 1 of 2)

126 6 MORE SPLENDID TOWERS TO RIVAL THAT OF PISA

ARCHITECTURAL MARVELS
Huqiu Tower Leaning Tower Koutoubia

of Teluk Intan Minaret
NEED TO KNOW

LOCATION Tiger Hill 3644*"
Gardens, Suzhou, in eastern NEED TO KNOW NEED TO KNOW
China, 46 miles (74 km) .0/(0-*"
west of Shanghai LOCATIONTeluk Intan, LOCATION Marrakech,
#FJKJOH 53 miles (85 km) south of in central Morocco
DATE OF 5BOHFS
CONSTRUCTION $)*/" Ipoh, the state capital 4PVUI DATE OF "UMBOUJD
0DF B O
of Perak, in peninsular
AD 907–61, with further 4IBOHIBJ $IJOB 4FB CONSTRUCTION 3BCBU 'F[
additions 1628–44 46;)06 Malaysia *QPI 1150–90
DATE OF . "- " :4*" .030$$0
HEIGHT 154 ft (47 m) )POH ,POH 5&-6, HEIGHT 220 ft (67 m)
CONSTRUCTION ,VBMB -VNQVS ."33",&$)
PURPOSE Pagoda used for 1885 */5"/ PURPOSE "HBEJS
holding religious artifacts Mosque tower
HEIGHT 85 ft (26 m) from which the
*/%0 /&4*" "-(&3*"
PURPOSE Water tower, call to prayer is
8&45&3/
clock tower, marker for ships issued 4")"3"
Also known as the Yunyang Pagoda or the Tiger
Hill Pagoda, the “Leaning Tower of China” is an
octagonal seven-story brick construction. Part of Fairly modern as leaning towers go, the circular The beautiful Koutoubia Minaret adjoins the
the foundations are on a rock base and the rest Tower of Teluk Intan was originally known as the largest mosque in Marrakech, and is the oldest of
on soil, which, after more than 1,000 years, has High Clock Tower due to the large upper-story the world’s three remaining Almohad-dynasty
resulted in an angle of tilt of some three degrees. clock – still ticking – made by J. W. Benson of minarets. The mosque had to be rebuilt soon
Some interior columns have cracked, further London, watchmaker to Queen Victoria. The after completion because it did not align properly
weakening the structure. The tower has no staircase tower was built by a Chinese contractor who with Mecca, but the minaret was able to remain
(movable ladders are used to reach upper levels), incorporated many of his country’s traditional in its original form. The stately minaret became an
so cannot be climbed by the public. Huqiu Tower architectural elements into the design. Initially influential model for other towers in the Moorish
is set on a hilltop within the ancient gardens of intended as a water tower in case of drought or world, including the Hassan Tower mausoleum in
Tiger Hill, where a legendary white tiger is said to fire, and built on soft soil, it first started to lean Rabat, and the Giralda in Seville, Spain. Construction
guard the tomb of King He Lu, who died in 600 BC. under the sheer weight of the water. Later, floods commenced shortly after the Almohad conquest
submerged the base of the tower and increased of Marrakech in 1150 and was completed during
the angle of tilt to nearly two degrees. the reign of Sultan Yacoub el-Mansour. The
Practical Information
minaret is topped with 4 copper balls, one of
Getting There and Around Suzhou’s nearest international airport is at
Shanghai, 75 miles (120 km) away, with regular, fast bus and train links. Practical Information which was a gift from the wife of the Sultan as
When to Go The humid, subtropical climate means that Apr–May and Getting There and Around Kuala Lumpur is the closest international penance for breaking her fast during Ramadan.
Oct–Nov are the most pleasant times to visit the gardens. airport, 100 miles (165 km) southeast, with bus connections.
Website www.cnto.org/suzhou.asp When to Go This is a wet equatorial zone with little seasonal variation. Practical Information
The tower is open all year and is free to ascend.
Getting There and Around The minaret is in central Marrakech overlooking
Strikingly ornate Huqiu Tower, rising magnificently above the lush Website www.perak.info/Hilir_Perak/Leaning_Tower_Teluk_Intan.htm Djemaa el Fna square, 15 mins by taxi from Marrakech-Menara Airport.
landscape of Tiger Hill Gardens, China
When to Go Marrakech is sunny all year round. The weather is at its best in
Colorful tower of Teluk Intan, the only tall building in the city and a spring, early summer, and fall, without extremes of temperature. Only
landmark sight for miles around, Malaysia Muslims are allowed access to the mosque and minaret.
Website www.marrakech-cityguide.com

Delicately carved Islamic stone- and tilework ornamentation on the
Koutoubia Minaret, bathed in late-afternoon sunlight, Morocco

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