The great impression of the immense size of the mosque, leaves us without breathing. Thanks to its minaret, 210m high, it is the highest in the world. The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca Morocco, also occupies its place among the largest in the world, with 89 km2 of land. The location of the mosque on an artificial peninsula facing the Atlantic Ocean is due to the fact that King Hassan II was inspired by a verse from the Qur'an that reads: "The throne of God was erected on the waters".
I was able to visit the temple thanks to a guided tour, and enjoy some of the impressive areas allowed for visitors. It is so dazzling the amount of ornamental details that visiting time leaves little space to take pictures.
The mosque complex was designed by French architect Michel Pinseau. It took six years to be built and it was inaugurated in 1993, coinciding with the day of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad.
It is a marvel of the best Moroccan handicrafts: hand-carved granite and wood, intricate marble inlaid floors, golden cedar ceilings, colorful and exquisite ceramic mosaics abound, as well as elaborate plaster and stucco ornaments.
The prayer room can hold 25,000 worshipers and is crowned by a 3,400 m2 mobile roof that can be moved in five minutes thanks to a motorized system. When the roof is closed, the prayer room is illuminated by 50 chandeliers and 8 Venetian Murano chandeliers.
The doors are made of bronze and titanium. The ablution fountains were carved in marble and shaped like huge lotus flowers. Believers pray on a floor with central heating, and can see under the glass floor, the waves of the Atlantic breaking the rocks as well as feel sunlight through the retractable roof.