The Hassan II Mosque Is A Must See In Casablanca
The largest mosque in Morocco, and one of the largest in the world, the Hassan II mosque is also one of the newest of its size. Completed in 1993, it was commissioned by the Moroccan King Hassan II and work began in July 1986.
Part of what makes the mosque so incredible is the scope of the materials used in its creation, as well as its sheer size. The mosque can fit 105,000 people in all during times of worship – with fully 25,000 people able to fit inside the mosque and another 80,000 people able to fill its outdoor area.
The Hassan II mosque features ornate decoration on a huge scale.
Almost every surface on and in the mosque is adorned with patterns of tile and stone. The tour guides are eager to tell you the background of the construction and especially proud that all of the construction materials came from Moroccan sources.
The surroundings play a large role as well.
The mosque is situated on one end of the extremely wide and rocky Casablanca harbor. The mosque is constructed with materials intended to be able to withstand the constant barrage of salt water. Nonetheless damage still occurred to the building's concrete a little over a decade after completion, resulting in a round of restoration which has supposedly solved the problem for the foreseeable future.
There is a lot more to see of the mosque
Unfortunately, you are not allowed to photograph the inside of the building, as it is an active place of worship. However, the interior is, in my opinion, more fantastic than the exterior of the building. The colors inside are all incredibly warm and dark, with the most intricate designs of darker colored stones and wood everywhere you look. The men gather to pray on the soft carpeted floor while the woman pray in giant raised indoor platforms.
Most incredible, though we did not get to see it, is the mechanical ceiling. A giant portion of the ceiling is essentially built to be an electronic sun-window. On the hottest days of the year, when the mosque is filled with worhippers, the ceiling itself can be opened wide to allow air to pass through the mosque.
You can also visit the bath houses beneath the mosque itself, which are immensely beautiful as well.
After you are finished at the mosque, take a walk down towards the other end of the harbor, along the towering sea wall which looks down upon imposing rocks where locals will hang out and sun bathe. If, like me, you're afraid of heights, then you will want to stand far back from the low lying wall, because the view is imposing.