Hassan II Mosque: built by 3,300 Moroccan craftsmen above the Atlantic
Its 210-metre minaret is among the world's tallest, and up to 105,000 people can pray inside and on its grounds.
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Casablanca — On a promontory in Casablanca, with the Atlantic Ocean on three sides, stands one of the most striking buildings in Africa. The Hassan II Mosque, completed in 1993, is the second-largest mosque on the continent and one of the largest in the world.
A minaret of 60 storeys
Its minaret rises 210 metres, about 60 storeys, making it the second-tallest in the world. At the top, a laser beam points towards Mecca. The prayer hall holds 25,000 worshippers and the grounds outside another 80,000, for a total of up to 105,000. The roof can be opened to the sky.
Moroccan hands, Moroccan crafts
The mosque was designed by the architect Michel Pinseau under the guidance of King Hassan II, but it was built by craftsmen from across Morocco. According to the Hassan II Mosque Foundation, 3,300 artisans worked on it, among them hundreds of master craftsmen, or maâlems, in carpentry, carved plaster and zellige, the country's famous geometric tilework. Its walls are of hand-worked marble.
The nine-hectare complex sits between Casablanca's harbour and the El Hank lighthouse. Worshippers can pray above the sea.
Background: Wikipedia.
