Moroccan Adventure

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Saturday, 12 November 2022 - Last day in Morocco spent at the magnificent Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca exploring its vast prayer hall, intricate mosaics, towering minaret, detailed woodwork, and water-side setting before concluding the adventure and wrapping up the trip.

morocco2022 — King Hassan II said, "I wish Casablanca to be endowed with a large, fine building of which it can be proud until the end of time ... I want to build this mosque on the water, 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."

morocco2022 — Construction costs, estimated to be about 620 million dollars, were an issue of debate in Morocco, as a country with a lower to mid-income economy. While Hassan wished to build a mosque which would be second in size only to the mosque at Mecca, the government lacked funds for such a grand project. Much of the financing was by public conscription. Twelve million people donated to the cause, with a receipt and certificate given to every donor. The smallest contribution was $1.50.

morocco2022 — Green tiles decorate the minaret for the upper third of the minaret.

morocco2022 — A public fountain in tile.

morocco2022 — Six thousand 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 exterior surfaces of the mosque display titanium, bronze, and granite finishes.

morocco2022 — Detail on the tile on the exterior walls.

morocco2022 — Mosaic wall outside.

morocco2022 — Detail of the titanium door.

morocco2022 — Translucent doors to the seaside of the mosque.

morocco2022 — Interior stucco work on the walls.

morocco2022 — The design on the interior of the huge titanium doors.

morocco2022 — The prayer hall is built to a rectangular plan of 660 feet long and 330 feet wide with three naves, which are perpendicular to the qibla (side toward Meca) wall.

morocco2022 — The central hall has a series of domes from which glass chandeliers, imported from Murano, Italy are hung.

morocco2022 — The wood work on the ceiling.

morocco2022 — On either side of the hall, there are mezzanine floors with carved dark wood furnishings, which are areas reserved for women to pray.

morocco2022 — Beautiful carved ceilings.

morocco2022 — The roof is retractable, illuminating the hall with daytime sunlight and allowing worshippers to pray under the stars on clear nights. It weighs 1100 tons and can be opened in five minutes. The roof is covered with cast-aluminium tiles, stronger and more reliable than traditional ceramic tiles, and about 35 percent lighter.

morocco2022 — Detail of the woodwork in the hallways.

morocco2022 — More beautiful woodwork.

morocco2022 — Tiles leading to the basement.

morocco2022 — The marble walls in the basement.

morocco2022 — In the basement are many fountains for washing prior to prayer. A Muslim is required to wash hands, face and head then feet 3 times before prayers so there are plenty of fountains to accommodate all the worshipers.

morocco2022 — The fountains march into the distance. Can you imagine thousands moving through this room performing these rituals prior to prayer?

morocco2022 — Delicate design on the ceiling.

morocco2022 — Not as pretty as the foundations but more practical are spigots on the wall the length of the room.

morocco2022 — Incredible room.

morocco2022 — Bronze sculpture - must be 10 feet tall.

morocco2022 — Tile hiding behind a marble pillar.

morocco2022 — The Hassan II Mosque is the largest functioning mosque in Africa and is the 7th largest in the world. Its minaret is the world's second-tallest minaret at 689 feet. The minaret is 60 stories high topped by a laser, the light from which is directed toward Mecca. A maximum of 105,000 worshippers can gather for prayer: 25,000 inside the mosque hall and another 80,000 on the mosque's outside grounds.

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