Until you get close, it is really impossible to imagine the true scale of the Hassan II Mosque. Opened in 1993 at a cost of about a billion dollars (yes, billion with a b), I’m told it is the third largest mosque in the world, behind those in Mecca and Medina. (Truth told, my subsequent research has it as 13th, but it’s hard to tell for certain.) The interior can hold 25,000 worshippers, with another 80,000 in the courtyard. Its minaret is as tall as a 60 story building. It even has a retractable roof!

Casablanca isn’t known as a tourist hub in Morocco, despite being the country’s largest city. Few tourists have it on their radar at all, other than possibly flying in and out of the Mohammed V airport here. My own guided tour of the country began in Casablanca, but specifically told us that the city would not be part of the tour at all. But the Hassan II Mosque makes spending a day here worthwhile.

Visits are only possibly with a tour, and while tickets can be purchased in person on the day of, you are much better off – especially with limited time – booking that ahead of your arrival. Tours are only at specific times, set between prayer hours, as this is an active mosque and hosts worshippers for the five daily Muslim prayers. As such, the tours move quickly, taking about an hour inside, since it takes time to set and reset the space for prayer.

Named for the Moroccan King Hassan II, under whose rule it was built (he passed away in 1999), the mosque was specifically designed to create a monumental site for Casablanca. Ground was broken in 1986, with crews working 24 hours a day to complete it in less than seven years. Even the location is extraordinary, as the Hassan II Mosque is actually built on an artificial platform over the Atlantic Ocean, and my guide says waves are able to move underneath. 

My visit begins in the courtyard, although the tour portion doesn’t start until we meet our guide inside. The courtyard affords breathtaking views of the mosque and its towering minaret, as well as arched side passageways separating the outdoor prayer space from attached schools and museums.

The minaret is easily the most eye-popping feature. It is done in the Moorish style (you’ll notice strong similarities with the Giralda in Seville, for example), with a single tall square tower, as opposed to the slender round minarets of the Arabian Peninsula and Turkey. It is embellished with marble and tile, and topped with three orbs. Those actually symbolize the three religions present in Morocco (Islam, Christianity, and Judaism), all of whose followers donated to make this building possible. 

And inside, elements of all three religions have been included. While it is quite obviously a mosque, and 98% of the decor is specifically what one would find in most mosques, especially those in the Maghreb, there are odes to both Christianity and Judaism. For Christians, the Hassan II Mosque was built with a floor plan reminiscent of a cathedral, done in a cross. And the interior height was exactly matched to Casablanca’s Sacred Heart Cathedral, a stunning white building that is no longer used for religious services but can be visited.

Many Jewish synagogues, especially those of North Africa, include a women’s section on a balcony. That is not common in mosques, but this mosque honors the Jewish community of Morocco with that element being present as its women’s area. These are odes to the acceptance of the society here, something not to be taken for granted. 

The Hassan II Mosque, especially the interior, is an ode to Morocco. With three exceptions (two panels of white Carerra marble, chandeliers from Milan, and titanium doors – so as not to show weathering from the salty humid air – with metal from Russia), all of the building materials are sourced from here. Marble in several colors accents the floor and walls, stone work adorns most surfaces, and hand painted cedar makes the ceiling. 

And the artisans who did the decorations represent the best traditions of Morocco. The plaster work on the pillars is especially incredible, done by workers from Fes. No detail is left undone. Even the 360 speakers are hidden in ornate boxes under pillars around the upper walls.

The central door is only used by the current King of Morocco (Mohammed VI as of this writing), and a pathway down the center is also only for the monarch, and possibly other members of the royal family.

Once our tour of the interior was finished, we were taken downstairs, where an 18,000 square meter washing facility is located. There are dozens of fountains and hundreds of faucets, meant to accommodate the Muslim pre-prayer ceremonial washing of the hands, feet, and face for 10,000 worshippers every several minutes before services. And as with the central prayer space, no expense was spared for the details.

Just look at this overhead light and carved panel. This is just outside the washing area and restrooms!

The tour finishes inside the minaret itself, where a stunning dome blocks view of the tower above it. It reminds of the infinite, and I suppose that is intentional given where we are.

I’ve been lucky enough in my life to see some incredibly beautiful religious spaces. Casablanca’s Hassan II Mosque is up there with any of them. If you find yourself with even a partial day to spend in Morocco’s largest city, take the chance to visit it. You, too, will be absolutely blown away. 

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