Between sky and sea in the Hassan II mosque

Built two-thirds over the sea, with a 1-ton ceiling that opens up to the heavens and a 100-meter-high minaret, the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco is a must-see in the city and the country.

King Hassan II ruled Morocco for nearly 40 years, from 1961 until his death in 1999. The pharaonic project of his eponymous mosque began in 1988 to be completed in 1993. The project, estimated between 400 and 700 million USD (500 to 865 million CAD), was financed in particular through compulsory contributions from some 30 million Moroccans.

The land of a former municipal swimming pool has been extended to 9 hectares to extend into the Atlantic. The location visible for miles around was intended as a reminder of the story of the creation of the world according to the Qur'an, where it is stated that the throne of Allah "was on the water". The architecture was also designed to make the link between the sky, the sea and the earth.

An almost unique religious building

The mosque is one of the largest in the world. It is estimated that only that of Algiers has exceeded it since 2019 on the African continent. It is also one of the few that is accessible to non-Muslim visitors, both men and women.

Its immense minaret - the tower of the mosque used to make the call to prayer - rises 210 meters in the air, the equivalent of 60 floors. At this height, a laser beam illuminates up to 30 km in the direction of Mecca, in order to indicate to the whole city where to turn for prayer. It is estimated that 25 people can take place inside the prayer hall (which is 000 hectares!), While the outer courtyard would accommodate more than 2 faithful.

The construction required 300 m000 of concrete, reinforced with 3 tonnes of steel, and molded using 40 m000 of formwork.

All the magnificent materials used come from Morocco, with the exception of white marble from Murano in Italy, used for around fifty chandeliers (some of which are 10 meters and 1 kg!) And a few columns.

The eyes on the ceiling

The mosque is accessible to Muslims for prayer. For others, a few guided tours are offered every day for the equivalent of around 20 CAD, and in several languages. This price includes a small amount allowing you to see a small museum near the entrance where you can find examples of Moroccan architecture.

It was the striking carved wooden ceilings that impressed me the most. No less than 53 m² of the premises would be covered with these complex geometries and entanglements of cedar and others of gasoline. This tradition of carved and painted wood dates back to the 9th century.

In addition to the incredible patterns of the ceilings, huge sections of concrete walls are covered with patterns of pale blue, ivory, yellow and orange ceramics, from traditional Moroccan crafts.

The patterns are also used in the ceramic of the walls.

The interior

Inside, the prayer room is so large that it is difficult to fully realize it. The ground is heated using 75 km of cables. And the absence of benches like in a church makes the place seem even more immense. The building is also longer than it is wide, which is more reminiscent of the shape of a church than that of a traditional mosque.

In the heart of this immense room, our guide points out the presence of 32 acoustic speakers, hidden in the decoration of the columns. The greatest wonder does not come from the presence of a glass floor allowing you to see the ocean under your feet, which is a legend often conveyed even in some tourist guides.

No, the highlight of the show for anyone who knows the history of the Olympic Stadium in Montreal is rather a massive 1-ton roof, perched more than 100 meters high and that can be opened in just 60 minutes!

The objective of this impressive system is to circulate the air in addition to offering a vertical gaze on the azure sky of Casablanca.

Beautiful little ditches circulate water during prayers.

A huge 1100-ton roof opens to the sky in 5 minutes.

Lower in the mosque, under the prayer hall, there are 41 enormous fountains used for ablution of the faithful before prayer. In this room, the walls are covered with a semblance of stucco that absorbs water, which prevents copper oxidation and mold from setting in. Finally, there is also a a hammam (public Turkish bath), open to the public and accessible from the courtyard.

More than 900 projectors illuminate the mosque in the evening.

The buildings in front of and around the mosque have a beautiful view despite their mostly decrepit facades.

More: le Hassan II Mosque website, especially in French, offers a wide range of information on visits, technical challenges and statistics on the construction of the building.