Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca

All of Northern Africa is submitted to main earthquakes. The African plaque is pushing against the Eurasian plaque. In the recent past, many deadly earthquakes have hit Northern Morocco and Algeria. In 1755, most coastal cities of Morocco were heavily hit. In 1960, Agadir was entirely destroyed (12,000 dead). In 1969, another earthquakes hit the coast with 200 casualties. On February 24th 2004, Al Hoceima, in the North was also severely hit and the death toll was more than 150.
There is no surprise that the whole mosque has been build earthquake proof!

It is when you are just below the 200 meters of the minaret that it is the most impressive. This new "headlight of Islam" is equiped with a panoramic elevator with glass walls. It was under revision when we were there but it was ought to run again in 2004.

This monumental doorway gives an idea of the way everything is delicatly carved. All the inside walls are covered with carved plaster. The capitals are carved marble, the columns of granite, except the mirhab columns, made of Carrara marble.
I have no photos of the inside as we had not enough time to visit it.

The inside can be visited (50 Dh) and can welcome 25,000 persons (20,000 men and separately, 5,000 women, in mezzanines) and the esplanade 150,000 more on it's 20,000 m2. Notre Dame de Paris could be dropped inside the main praying room, 200 x 100 meters!

King Hassan II, "Commander of the believers", is descending from Mohammed, and wanted to leave to the posterity a monument worthy his reign. It had to be finished for his 60th birthday and the time allotted was pretty tight. When completed, the minaret is the highest in the world (200 m) and can be seen from several dozen of kilometers away.

The soil, as is the building itself, is made of reinforced concrete covered with marble.
Once you arrive close to the building, you discover that he Mosque,built mainly over the Ocean, is surrounded by the Ocean on three sides. This gives the strange impression as, with the wide esplanade in front, it is separated from the city, to be a "nowhere" place.

The closer you walk, the more impressive. You realize how huge it is. It was build in 1989 for the 60th anniversary of King Hassan II. The architect is French, Michel Pinseau, as is Bouygues, the builder, but the decoration has been done by the best moroccan craftsmen. It is the second largest religious building in the world, second to Mecqua.

When the Ocean is rough, it is very impressive as waves brake on the boulders that protect Mosque Hassan II and on the jetty. The place from where I took this photo was temporarily forbidden because of the waves. If I had stayed half a minute longer at this place, I would have been completely splashed !