The only way to get into the King Hassan II Mosque, if you are not a Moslem, is on a guided tour. It’s worth it. The mosque is more than two football fields long and one wide. I think St. Peters in Rome could easily fit inside if the roof were retracted for the dome. It has a carved wooden roof of cyprus that is retractable so in good weather you can pray outside. There is a glass floor under part of the mosque, which is built on and, in parts, over the Atlantic. The floor gives us a glimpse of the ocean underneath because of the words in the Koran. “God’s throne sits upon the water.” The carving, mosaics, woodwork, and scale are breathtaking. The Mosque comes equipped with both Turkish and Roman style baths and rooms with simpler fountains for washing before prayers. The building can hold 25,000 with an additional 75,000 in the courtyard. A laser on the 682 foot high minaret (the tallest in the world) points to Mecca for evening prayers. The late Hassan II built the mosque. The tour guide tells us it cost $800,000,000.
For a good satellite view of the Mosque, and how it extends out over the surf make sure the map at the top of this post is clicked on satellite and zoom all the way in.
