Hassan II Mosque

The Hassan II Mosque stands on a rocky platform over the Atlantic on the Sidi Belyout waterfront of Casablanca, Morocco, and is one of the largest mosques in the world. Completed in 1993 to designs by the French architect Michel Pinseau, it is built largely by Moroccan craftspeople using cedar from the Middle Atlas, marble, zellige tilework, carved plaster and painted wood. Its minaret rises roughly 200 metres and is among the tallest religious towers anywhere. Part of the prayer hall floor is glass, so worshippers can look down at the sea, and the roof can slide open in good weather. Non-Muslim visitors can enter only on a guided tour, which typically lasts about an hour and covers the vast prayer hall, which holds around 20,000 worshippers, the lower-level ablution rooms with their marble fountains, and the hammam. Guides explain the craft techniques and the symbolism behind the decoration. Tours run several times a day in the morning and early afternoon, are suspended during prayer times, and the interior is closed on Friday mornings. Visitors should dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, and remove shoes before entering the hall. Outside, the large esplanade is free to enter and offers the best photo angles: the minaret against the sky from the plaza, and the whole building framed with waves from the seaward walkway near the corniche. Late afternoon light turns the stonework warm, and the esplanade is popular with local families at sunset. Crowds are heaviest at midday and on weekends, when coach groups arrive, so the first tour of the day is usually the quietest. Allow another 30 to 45 minutes for the grounds, and consider combining the visit with a walk toward the Old Medina along the seafront.