Day 5: Hassan II Mosque

The Hassan II Mosque visit was awe-inspiring.  It is the only mosque in Morocco that non-Muslims may visit, and then only during non-prayer times, which in winter means 2pm.  (Due to the shortened day, 4 of the 5 daily prayers occur after noon).

 The mosque, the largest in Morocco and 13th largest in the world, was constructed over a promontory over the Atlantic Ocean, and completed in 1993.  It took 35,000 workers 7 years of round-the-clock building to complete.

 Getting our entry stickers.

 We may have escaped the snow, but we didn't escape the cold!

 The mosque holds an incredible 25,000 worshipers, with the plaza outside holding an additional 80,000!

 The world's tallest minaret (689 ft.)

 Waiting for the tour to start--the doors are massive!

 No shoes in the mosque.

 Just a tiny fraction of the prayer hall.

 The chandeliers lower electronically for cleaning!  The price of the tour helps pay for the upkeep of the mosque.

 More of the main prayer hall.  Gorgeous plaster work and wood carvings.

 You can see a balcony in the lower right--this is for the women.

 The retractable roof is 200 ft high, covers 37.000 square feet, weighs 1100 tons, and can be opened in 5 minutes!

 While the mosque is used daily by locals, it  is only full to capacity at the end of Ramadan and during the feast of Abraham.

 Zellij tile and plaster caligraphy.

 Popular tour!

 The zellij tilework in the lower ablutions area.