Hassan II Mosque
| Hassan II Mosque | |
|---|---|
 Location within Casablanca
|
|
| Basic information | |
| Location | Morocco |
| Geographic coordinates | 33°36′30″N 7°37′59″W / 33.60826°N 7.63292°WCoordinates: 33°36′30″N 7°37′59″W / 33.60826°N 7.63292°W |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Municipality | Casablanca |
| District | Casablanca |
| Prefecture | Casablanca-Anfa |
| State | Casablanca |
| Region | Greater Casablanca |
| Year consecrated | 1993 |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | In use |
| Status | Active |
| Leadership | King Hassan II |
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) | Michel Pinseau (France) |
| Architectural type | Mosque |
| Architectural style | Arab-Andalusian, Moorish |
| General contractor | Bouygues |
| Groundbreaking | 12 July 1986 |
| Completed | 30 August 1993 |
| Construction cost | $400–$700 million |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 105,000 (25,000 indoors, additional 80,000 on Mosque's grounds) |
| Dome(s) | One |
| Minaret(s) | One |
| Minaret height | 210 metres (690 ft) |
| Materials |
Cedar from Middle Atlas Marble from Agadir Granite from Tafraoute |
The Hassan II Mosque or Grande Mosquée Hassan II (Arabic: مسجد الحسن الثاني; nickname: "Casablanca Hajj" (colloquial, microblogging and social networking language) is a mosque in Casablanca, Morocco. It is the largest mosque in Morocco and the 13th largest in the world. Its minaret is the world's tallest at 210 metres (689 ft). Completed in 1993, it was designed by Michel Pinseau and built by Bouygues. The minaret is 60 stories high topped by a laser, the light from which is directed towards Mecca. The mosque stands on a promontory looking out to the Atlantic Ocean, worshippers can pray over the sea but there is no glass floor looking into the sea. The walls are of hand-crafted marble and the roof is retractable. A maximum of 105,000 worshippers can gather together for prayer: 25,000 inside the mosque hall and another 80,000 on the mosque's outside grounds.
The mosque is located at Bd Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah in Casablanca. The 9-hectare (22-acre) complex nestles between the harbor and the El Hank lighthouse. From the nearest train station at Casa-Port it is about a 20-minute walk to the mosque. The ten-lane boulevard with shopping avenues has its terminus at the southern facade of the mosque and extends to the gates of the Palace Oued el Makhazine in the middle of the city. The basilical plan of the mosque justifies this layout of the boulevard.
The mosque rises above the Atlantic Ocean. The building is built partially on land and partially over the ocean. This siting was accomplished by creating a platform linking a natural rock outcrop reclaimed from the sea, where a swimming pool had previously been located. Two large breakwaters were also built, to protect the mosque from the erosive action of the ocean waves, which can be up to 10 metres (33 ft) in height. A temporary pier 800 metres (2,600 ft) in length had to be erected to protect the foundations of the pillars from the sea during the construction period. Its environmental advantage is that it is free of noise and pollution and receives a fresh breeze from the sea.
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Wikipedia