[MOROCCO] Casablanca - Hassan II Mosque

08:44 Travel Bunny 0 Comments

Hassan II Mosque is an opulent mosque which is the landmark in Casablanca. The mosque was designed by French architect, Michel Pinseau, and took six years to build. Completed in 1993, it is the seventh largest mosque in the world and its minaret is the world's second tallest minaret at 210 meters. It can hold up to 105,000 worshippers - 25,000 inside the mosque hall and another 80,000 on the mosque's outside ground.

Getting there:

The easiest way is to take a taxi to the mosque. The nearest train station to the mosque is Casa Port train station (2km, 5 minutes by taxi or 27 minutes walk). From Gare Voyageurs STCR Casablanca, the taxi ride will be around 15 minutes. 

How to buy the entrance ticket:

Visitors must buy the tickets at the Ticket Office. You cannot buy the tickets online. The Ticket Office is inside the Museum of Hassan II Mosque (see photo above).

The samples of materials used in construction of the mosque are exhibited in the museum and serves as a preamble to the visit of Hassan II Mosque. 

It is one of the two Moroccan mosques which are opened to non-Muslims. Foreigners can only enter the mosque by joining a guided tour. The guided tour lasts about 45 minutes. It is conducted in French, German, English and Spanish.

You'll need to pay extra to visit the Hammams in Hassan II Mosque. Supplies such as black soap, mizar and flip flops will be given to each guest. Rituals and accessories are all additional services with different price.

Rules and Regulations:

* Dressed modestly (shoulders and knees must be covered). Women are not required to cover their hair.
* Visitors are required to remove shoes at the entrance of the prayer hall (bags are provided).
* Cigarettes, food and drinks are not allowed during the visit.
* To facilitate the work of the guides, visitors are requested to respect the schedules, stay in group and keep quiet during the visit.
* For safety reasons, do not overstep the chains around the Seguia.
* The use of cellphones, and all other radio phonic receivers or sonorous devices are not allowed inside the mosque.
* It is forbidden to use any kind of audio or video recording devices.

What to See:

The Seafront Promenade

Hassan II Mosque is built partially on land and partially over the ocean. The location echoes the verse from the Quran, which states that the God's throne was built upon the water. Strolling along the seafront promenade allows me to take in the dramatic settings of the mosque.

The Esplanade

The esplanade of the mosque covers an area of 30,000 m2. It has beautiful corridors decorated with horse arches. It is free to see its exterior. 

The Minaret

The minaret is equipped with a rapid lift with a capacity of 12 people and can reach the top of the building in less than a minute. The large ball of the minaret emits a lase beam with a range of 30km oriented towards Mecca. 

The Prayer Hall

The prayer hall is designed to be centrally heated, earthquake-proof and has electric doors. The decoration of the hall are elaborate and exquisite made possible by involving 6,000 master artisans working on it. The ceiling has fifty Murano glass chandeliers of 6 meters in diameter, 10 meters in height and weighing 1.2 tonne each. 

* Baby stroller is allowed inside.

Most notably, the roof of the prayer hall is retractable, which is able to open in five minutes to transform the center of this room into a large patio.

Part of the floor is made of glass and provides views of the basement below.

The mezzanine floors with carved dark wood furnishings are reserved for women.

I love the intricate designed tileworks in the mosque. It was such a feast to the eyes.

Ablution Hall

The ablution halls are located in basements, one for men and one for women. 

It houses 45 marble fountains that represent lotus flowers. 

Hassan II Mosque is the most compelling motivation why I made Casablanca my last stop in Morocco. It certainly didn't disappoint me.

Hassan II Mosque

Opening hours: 
1) 16 Sep - 14 Mar: 9am, 10am, 11am, 12pm, 3pm (Sat - Thu), 9am, 10am, 3pm (Fri)
2) 15 Mar - 15 Sep: 9am, 10am, 11am, 12pm, 3pm, 4pm (Sat - Thu), 9am, 10am, 3pm, 4pm (Fri)
Official website: https://www.fmh2.ma/en