Built on a rocky promontory overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca is an Arab-Muslim architectural masterpiece, considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the world, for its size and for its unique style.
The pillar of the Hassan II Mosque is the prayer hall, which is spread over an area of 20.000 square meters and can accommodate up to 25,000 worshipers. It comes with a removable roof and two raised mezzanine reserved for women.
Designed to make the moment of prayer as pleasant as possible, it has a heated floor and part of the roof is removable; the huge entrance doors, made of titanium and weighs more than ten tons, are opened electronically to facilitate the flow of worshipers in the Mosque.
You can also visit the hammam and the ablutions room, with 41 fountains where the Muslims purify themselves before prayer.
Its minaret, developing over 60 floors for 210 meters high, is the highest in the world; built following the Arab-Andalusian tradition, is decorated in marble and stone and on its top has a laser lighthouse heading towards Mecca.
This Mosque was built by the will of the king Hassan II, designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau and built by Boygues; during the construction works, from 1987 to 1993, it required the work and art of 2,500 workers and 10,000 artisans.
Today is an example of Moroccan craftsmanship splendor combined with a modern engineering technology. It is the largest Mosque in Morocco and, for size, the third in the world (after the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and the Mosque of the Prophet in Medina).
The Hassan II Mosque is one of the few accessible to non-Muslims, thanks to the will of the king himself, who wanted the whole world to admire the masterpiece and wished to make a project of integration and exchange between different cultures, succeeding perfectly.
Practical informations:
Prices: Adults 120 DH – Students, Moroccans and foreigners residing in Morocco 60 DH – Young people under 12 years and Moroccan students 30 DH
Usual opening hours: Morning: 9 – 11 – Afternoon: 14 – Friday: 9-14
During the month of Ramadan: 9-11
Summer hours: Morning: 9-12 – Afternoon: 15 – Friday: 9 am – 10:15
For more information visit the website www.sbvoyages.com
