[5] The patron who constructed the Hassan Tower is Yaqub al-Mansur, ruler of the Almohad Caliphate, a Berber Muslim empire in the Maghreb and Iberia.

Al-Mansur had made the decision to construct a new fortified imperial capital, called al-Mahdiyya or Ribat al-Fath, on the site of what is now the medina (old city) of Rabat, with new walls extending over a vast area beyond the old Kasbah.

[6] Construction of the mosque began in 1191,[3][7] though the year 1195 is sometimes also cited due to historical reports by Mármol claiming that the creation of Ribat al-Fath was intended to commemorate al-Mansur's victory at the Battle of Alarcos.

[8]) The tower, like the Giralda of Seville in Al Andalus (modern day Spain), was modeled on the minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakesh, but also drew influence from the ancient Egyptian Lighthouse of Alexandria for its height and method of ascendancy, a series of ramps.

[9] Yaqub al-Mansur conducted other works in Rabat, most notably the construction of new city walls and gates and additions to the Kasbah of the Udayas.

[4] While there is evidence that some tiled roofing had been added to the mosque before it was abandoned, almost all materials that could be carried away were eventually stripped from the site for reuse in construction elsewhere.

[12] The mosque is strategically placed on the high south bank of the Bu Regreg river to provide an imposing spectacle visible for miles around.

[10] These columns were to be formed from drums of differing height, an idea that, while innovative at the time, slowed construction significantly and contributed to the mosque's unfinished state.

[13] The plan originally included three small inner courtyards, one in the back, parallel to the qibla wall, and the other two on either side of the prayer hall, allowing daylight and fresh air to flow in through the arcades.