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The historical context of the mosque began with the death of King Mohammed V in 1961. King Hassan II had requested for the best of the country's artisans to come forward and submit plans for a mausoleum to honour the departed king; it should "reflect the fervor and veneration with which this illustrious man was regarded." Plans to build the mausoleum had not progressed by 1980, and so, during a celebration to honor King Hassan II’s 60th birthday celebration, Hassan II directly requested a new building for Casablanca

“I wish Casablanca to be endowed with a large, fine building of which it can be proud until the end of time,” stated King Hassan II. “I want to build this mosque on the water,” he added, referring to a verse in the Qur’an, “because God’s throne is on the water. Therefore, the faithful who go there to pray, to praise the creator on firm soil, can contemplate God’s sky and ocean.”

The building was commissioned by King Hassan II to be the most ambitious structure ever built in Morocco

The Museum of the Hassan II Mosque

The Mediatheque The Museum of the Hassan II Mosque

The 41 fountains in the courtyard are all well decorated

Portico of Hassan II Mosque, 1993, designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau who had lived in Morocco

Portico of Hassan II Mosque

Much of the financing was by public subscription.Twelve million people donated to the cause, with a receipt and certificate given to every donor. The smallest contribution was 5 DH

Six thousand traditional Moroccan artisans worked for five years to create the abundant and beautiful mosaics, stone and marble floors and columns, sculpted plaster moldings, and carved and painted wood ceilings

The King Hassan II Mosque is one of the two main mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslims

Designed by French architect Michel Pinseau, construction of the Hassan II Mosque began in July 1986 on land reclaimed (without compensation to the former residents) from a run-down area near the sea

Zellige tilework

The mosque has room for 25,000 worshippers inside, and a further 80,000 can be accommodated in the mosque's courtyard (plaza squares around it). Its minaret is the world's tallest at 210 metres

Zellige tilework

Nearly all the materials of the Hassan II Mosque are from Morocco, with the sole exceptions of the imported white granite columns (Italian) and 56 glass  chandeliers (from Murano). The marble is from Agadir, the cedar wood is from the Middle Atlas and the granite comes from Tafraoute

Ceiling of the portico

The exterior surfaces of the mosque display titanium, bronze (doors), and granite finishes. It is ornamented with pale blue marble and Zellige tilework. A particular feature in the mosque is that all structures are made of reinforced cement concrete and all decorations are of traditional Moroccan design. The construction work involved engagement of 35,000 workers and working of over 50 million hours

Tiled mosaics detail

Door fretwork details

The Hassan II mosque is the

largest in North Africa, and the

third largest in the world

The first-class sound system is discreetly hidden

At 210 metres (690 ft) in height the minaret is the tallest religious structure in the world. It has a laser beam fitted at the top, which is electronically operated in the evening. It is oriented towards Mecca, across the sea "to point the way to God" and has a range of 30 kilometres  Green tiles decorate the minaret for one third of the height from the top, and then changes colour to deep green or turquoise blue; it is said that in the Hassan II minaret, the designer had used his sea-foam green and God’s blue to celebrate the life of a king

Structural deterioration in the concrete wall was

observed ten years after the mosque's

completion. This was explained as being due to exposure to the salt water of the Atlantic Ocean, into which nearly half of

the mosque’s foundation projects. Salt water migrating

into the porous concrete caused the

rusting of the rebarsteel reinforcements

resulting in expansion of the steel and causing

cracking of concrete. Effective restoration works were instituted

in April 2005

Two large breakwaters were built, to protect the mosque from the erosive action of the ocean waves, which can be up to 10 metres

The Mosque is open to all Muslims at daily prayer times and for special Friday services. Non-Muslim visitors may enter the mosque on guided tours, which take place several times a day

Text: InternetPictures: Sanda Foişoreanu Sanda Negruțiu Gabriela Balaban Internet pag1-4Copyright: All the images belong to their authors

Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanuhttps://plus.google.com/+SandaMichaela

Sound: Michael Lupescu - Moroccan Wedding Song 2016