The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca was built to give the city a great spiritual monument, a symbol of faith and tolerance.
Construction
King Hassan II laid the first stone on 11 July 1986 and the mosque opened in 1993. It was designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau. It stands on a promontory over the Atlantic Ocean: part of the structure extends over the sea, the prayer hall roof can open and the floor can be heated.
Architecture
The mosque combines traditional Moroccan craftsmanship with modern engineering. The prayer hall measures about 200 by 100 metres and the minaret, 210 metres high, is one of the tallest in the world. Carved plaster, marble, granite and cedar wood came almost entirely from Morocco and were worked by thousands of craftsmen.
It is one of the few mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslims, with guided tours.
We visit it on our tours from Casablanca.
More about Hassan II Mosque on Wikipedia.
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