The Hassan II Mosque is the second largest mosque in the world and is located in Casablanca, the minaret is considered the tallest in the world, standing at 689 feet or 210 meters. It’s a showcase of the finest Moroccan artisanship, hand-carved stone and wood, intricate marble flooring and inlay, gilded cedar ceilings and exquisite (geometric mosaic tile work. It’s one of two Moroccan mosques open to non-Muslims.
The largest mosques in Moracco, it can hold 105,000 worshippers – 25,000 inside, the rest on the outside courtyards. Its dramatic location overhanging the ocean waves echoes verse from the Quran, which states that God’s throne was built upon the water. Believers pray on a floor that can be heated when necessary, and can feel the breeze through the retractable roof in warmer months.
The size and elaborate decoration of the prayer hall is simply spectacular. A team of more than 6000 master craftspeople was assembled to work on the mosque, delicately carving intricate patterns and designs in fragrant cedar wood from the Middle Atlas and pink granite from Agadir. The gates were made from brass and titanium, and the ablution fountains in the basement, which are shaped like huge lotus flowers, were carved from local marble. It took over seven years and 10,000 crafts-man to construct the Hassan II Mosque, a tribute to the former King of Morocco, with traditional Moorish architecture.
