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The tall carved minaret and green-tiled roofs of the Hassan II Mosque, beyond its wide esplanade

Mosque

Hassan II Mosque

The Hassan II Mosque stands on the edge of the Atlantic, its minaret rising 210 metres above the waves. Finished in 1993, it is one of the largest mosques in the world and a showcase of Moroccan craftsmanship, and it is one of the few mosques in Morocco that non-Muslims can enter, on a guided tour.

Why visit

King Hassan II wanted a great monument for Casablanca, built partly on land reclaimed from the sea. Thousands of Moroccan craftsmen worked on it for years, carving cedar, plaster and marble and laying intricate zellige mosaics. The prayer hall holds about 25,000 worshippers, and tens of thousands more can pray on the esplanade outside. Part of the roof can slide open to the sky.

What to see

  • The prayer hall: an enormous space of marble columns, horseshoe arches and painted cedar ceilings.
  • The ablutions rooms: rows of lotus-shaped marble fountains in the basement.
  • The hammam: a traditional bathhouse built into the complex and shown on the tour.
  • The minaret: covered with green and cream zellige, and lit at night with a laser pointing towards Mecca.
  • The esplanade: free to walk at any time, with waves crashing on the sea wall below.

What to wear

Everyone should cover their shoulders and knees. Headscarves are not usually required on a tour. You take your shoes off inside and carry them in a bag.

Tips

  • Tour times change with the season and with prayer times, and there are fewer tours on Fridays and religious holidays, so check before you go.
  • Tours are given in several languages, including English, French and Spanish.
  • Come back at sunset for the light on the minaret.
  • Read our guide to visiting the Hassan II Mosque.

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