Hassan II Mosque: History and How to Visit

The Hassan II Mosque stands on the Atlantic shoreline in Casablanca and is the city's best-known landmark. Its minaret rises about 210 meters, which makes it one of the tallest in the world (sources differ on whether it is the tallest or the second tallest). It is also one of the few mosques in Morocco that non-Muslim visitors can enter.

History and Design

Construction began on 12 July 1986 and the mosque was completed on 30 August 1993. It was designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau, who had lived in Morocco, and built by the civil engineering group Bouygues. It was originally scheduled for completion in 1989, in time for King Hassan II's 60th birthday, but the building was finished later than planned.

The mosque is built partly over the water, on land that was reclaimed from the sea — one source gives about 15 hectares. The siting is attributed to a Qur'anic verse describing God's throne as being upon the water. Traditional Moroccan craftsmanship — zellige tilework, carved wood and plaster — was combined with modern engineering, and the prayer hall is reported to hold about 25,000 worshippers, with room for roughly 80,000 more on the esplanade outside.

Visiting as a Non-Muslim

Non-Muslim visitors can enter only on a guided tour of the interior, run outside prayer times. Tours are organized on site and run several times a day in languages including English, French, Spanish, German and Arabic. They typically cover the prayer hall and the ablution hall.

Ticket prices change, and sources disagree: one recent guide quotes 130 dirhams per adult foreign visitor (about €12) and 30 dirhams for children over six, while third-party booking sites charge more for skip-the-line tickets. Check the mosque foundation's official website for current prices and tour times before you go.

What to Wear and When to Go

Dress modestly: cover your shoulders and knees, and avoid shorts. Because tours are scheduled around prayer, plan your timing around the day's schedule rather than turning up at a random hour. The exterior and the esplanade are open for walking and photography, and the mosque is especially striking in the late afternoon light off the Atlantic.

Fitting It Into a Trip

The mosque is usually seen as a half-day stop in Casablanca. Combine it with the rest of the city in our Casablanca travel guide and our Casablanca destination guide. Casablanca is also a convenient start for private Morocco tours from Casablanca, and you can browse our full list of tours.