Hassan II Mosque
The Hassan II Mosque ( Arabic مسجد الحسن الثاني Mesjid al-Hasan ath-thānī , DMG masǧid al-ḥasan aṯ-ṯānī ) in Casablanca is one of the largest mosques in the world.
After the Great Mosque of Algiers, which was completed in April 2019, its minaret is the second-tallest minaret and the second-tallest religious building in the world with a height of 200 meters. The Hassan II Mosque was built on the occasion of the 60th birthday of the then Moroccan King Hassan II . 2500 workers and 10,000 craftsmen worked on the mosque for six years. The building was inaugurated on August 30, 1993.
The prayer hall of 20,000 square meters can accommodate up to 25,000 people. Special technical features are an automatically opening roof, underfloor heating in the prayer hall and a green laser beam that points towards Mecca at night. Non-Muslims may enter the mosque in the morning for guided tours for an entrance fee.
Mosque of the People
Officially, the mosque was a gift from the people to its king. The construction costs financed from tax revenues as well as the numerous serious accidents at work during construction brought the prestige building sharp criticism. In the first few weeks after the opening, opposition members repeated the official lettering “Hassan II Mosque” at night with the lettering “Mosque of the People” ( Arabic مسجد الشعب Mesjid asch-Schab , DMG masǧid aš-šaʿb ) was painted over.
Web links
- La Fondation de la Mosquée Hassan II
- King Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco. Islamic Arts & Architecture, January 9, 2012
- Mosquée Hassan 2. History in German
Coordinates: 33 ° 36 '26.4 " N , 7 ° 37' 57.2" W.