Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca

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Casablanca's major highlight is undoubtedly the massive Mosquee Hassan II, on a rocky promontory a couple of kilometres from the centre of the city. It actually appears a lot closer, because it is hard to gauge the scale of the building from far away, but the road to get there goes on and on and on. Sources can't agree on whether it is the largest mosque after Mecca (I doubt it), the largest in Africa (possible) or just the largest in Morocco (well...yes), but it is enormous, and unusually for Moroccan Islamic monuments, non-Muslims are allowed inside, on special guided tours.

As usual, my timing was not great. The last tour of the day had just set off when I arrived, so all I could do was to admire the courtyard and towering minaret along with hundreds of Moroccans, out to enjoy some sea air on a Sunday afternoon. Security officials were having a hard time keeping a group of local boys in swimming shorts from hurling themselves off the end of the courtyard and into the crashing waves below, much to the delight of the crowds gathering on the corniche. Just when the guards had caught one, another would come running past, leaving a trail of wet footprints on the tiles.

I promised myself I would come back at the end of my trip to see inside the mosque, but unfortunately I ran out of time, arriving in Casablanca on a Friday, when the mosque does not run tours, and the following day I flew home. Even if the mosque tours aren't running, it is still worth visiting to see the courtyard and minaret, as well as the sea views.

The district around the mosque is undergoing some development, as the mosque complex looks like it is spreading across the highway, and new apartment blocks are advertized nearby. On the other side, a pier jets out into the sea, allowing you to glimpse behind a set of strategically placed billboards hiding a stagnant lake that is apparently going to be a marina one day. For now, though, the mosque is a stunning building in a somewhat down-at-heel residential quarter.

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I never thought to see such splendour in a modern building - beautiful marble and ornately decorated cedar wood inside and intricate tile designs and sweeping colonades outside.

The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca is tallest religious building in the world. It is the largest mosque in Morocco and the third largest mosque in the world (after Mecca and Medina). It was designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau and took 6 years to complete in 1993. It was built partially on reclaimed land and half of the floor is directly over the Atlantic Ocean.

It was built to withstand earthquakes and has a number of modern touches such as a heated floor, electric doors, and a sliding roof.

The architecture shows a strong Moorish influence, similar to that of the Alhambra and the Great Mosque of Cordoba in Spain. This is one of only two mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslims. Guided tours depart several times a day outside of prayer times. Sat-Thu 9am, 10am, 11am, 2pm.

Normal conservative attire is required for both men and women - no shorts, ladies must cover their shoulders and upper arms and no shoes. The website below states no head covering required but take a scarf with you if you feel more comfortable.

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The new mosque of Hassan II it's a marvel of architecture, looking big and being bigger than it looks, favoured by its location entering the sea.

I didn't visit the interior, which, for non Muslims, is only accessible in organized visits that we I couldn't access. But it's possible to walk in the esplanade, seeing the doors and arches in detail.

The Hassan II Mosque is the second largest religious building in the world after the mosque in Mecca. It can accommodate up to 25,000 people. The complex has an area of 9 hectares, most of which is built on reclaimed land. The minaret is 200 m high, and has 2 laser beams reaching a distance of 30 km shine in the direction of Mecca. The building was designed by Michel Pinseau, and 35,000 workers and craftsmen were employed in its construction, which went on day and night for 7 years. It opened in 1993.

The mosque is very impressive, not only for its size, but for the workmanship, and the material of which it is built. If the exterior is awe-inspiring, the interior is even more stupendous -- and nothing was spared in its expense. The exquisitely carved stucco, tilework, the cedar wood galleries, the marble and other precious stones, and the giant Murano chandeliers -- everything was employed to once more display to the world the Moroccan genius for grandiose architecture, reminding us that these were the people who built the Alhambra.

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The Hassan II Mosque is undoubtedly THE landmark of Casablanca, with a host of superlatives tagging along behind it. 3rd-largest mosque in the world, largest mosque in Morocco, tallest minaret in the world, an eye-boggling amount of money and man-hours spent in its construction... they were probably had in mind to create a monument to rival the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World.
A little tip which might be helpful for travellers trying to get a Petit Taxi to come here... in French the mosque is called "Mosquee Hassan Deux", with a accent on the 2nd last letter of "Mosquee". The approximate pronunciation, if you don't speak French, is "Moss-kay Hassan Duh".
It's EXTREMELY windy on the square surrounding the mosque!
Visitors aren't allowed inside except during guided 1-hour tours held at 0900, 1000, 1100 and 1400, daily except Fridays. The admission fee is 120 MAD, students enjoy half price. As none of the tour timings fit my schedule, despite visiting Casablanca twice, I have been "spared" from contributing to their coffers! However a chap who looked like a worker there (?) motioned for me to join the group which was going towards the basement areas, and I did get to see those, which housed the Turkish baths (hammam), with lots of traditional mosaic art.
A selection of postcards featuring the mosque are available at the service counter in the basement area, for 8 MAD each. However if you're looking for postcards featuring a good view of the entire mosque, I found better pickings at the small convenience stores at Casablanca airport.
The mosque is said to boast Venetian glass chandeliers, a retractable roof, electrically-controlled doors etc. Named after King Hassan II, it took over 7 years to complete and most of the materials used in the construction were produced by Morocco itself.
The mosque is built on reclaimed land right at the edge of the Atlantic ocean, and if you look carefully, can be seen from the plane as you take off or land at Casablanca airport.

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The Hassan II Mosque is the third largest in the world, and it is built entirely with Moroccan materials except for two items: a few slabs of Carrara marble, and the Venetian glass chandeliers. It holds 20,000 worshipers on the floor, and 5,000 women on the balconies. There are 41 fountains in the ablution hall. It took 6 years (1987-1963) to build the mosque, even with 10,000 workers working around the clock. The 1,100 ton carved wooden ceiling is on tracks, and is opened on nice days.
Our guide said she was waiting for the standard questions:
How much did it cost? ($80 million, and the King paid 1/3 of it)
How many people does it take to clean it? (200 people, working every day.)

Guided tours are available at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily. In July & August only, there is also a 3 p.m. tour. The cost is 120 DH for adults; 30 DH for children under 12. (Less for Moroccans.) The tour takes about 45 minutes and was worth it.

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This is an amazing structure. I'd seen it from the plane as we came in to land - it's that big, and located on the edge of the ocean between the port and the Corniche. I was drawn to it 1st thing the next morning.

It was easy to find from my hotel - just head for the huge minaret.

It's the 3rd largest religious building in the world, and can hold 25k worshippers. Finished in 1993 after 5 years work, for the King's 60th birthday.

It is open to non-Muslims, but only on guided tours.

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The elaborate Minaret stands at a towering 200 metres and be seen from quite a distance. It is supposed to be the tallest in the world. At the top of the minaret are laser lights which beam out towards Mecca.