History and architecture of Hassan II Mosque

A king's vow

It all began in 1980. On 9 July, the day of his 51st birthday, King Hassan II delivered a speech that would mark Moroccan architectural history. He announced his wish to build, in Casablanca, a great mosque worthy of the kingdom's stature in the Muslim world. The king explicitly quoted verse 11:7 of the Quran: "and his throne was upon the water". From this Quranic reference comes the project's central requirement: the mosque must be built, at least in part, over the Atlantic Ocean.

The choice of Casablanca is not random. The kingdom's economic capital already counts 2 million inhabitants in 1980 but lacks a great religious monument. Hassan II wants to fill this gap, create a spiritual anchor for the expanding metropolis, and mark the urban landscape as seen from the ocean. The chosen site: a plot of the Aïn Diab corniche, on the rocks that used to host the municipal swimming pool.

The engineering challenge

Building a monumental mosque over the ocean poses engineering problems never encountered in Morocco. The foundations must withstand:

• Atlantic tides, which can reach 3 metres in amplitude.
• Winter storms, with average waves of 6 to 8 metres.
• Salt corrosion that eats away at concrete and steel in coastal zones.
• Earthquakes: Casablanca is in a moderate-seismicity zone.

The project management is entrusted to the French Bouygues firm, already involved in several major Moroccan construction sites. Engineers choose a 200-metre-long, 70-metre-wide reinforced concrete slab, anchored into the seabed granite rock by deep piles. Part of the slab is submerged at high tide, which creates the visual effect sought by the king: the mosque seems to float on the water.

The architect: Michel Pinseau

The king chooses French architect Michel Pinseau (1924-1999), based in Morocco since the 1960s. Pinseau had already signed several important works in the kingdom, notably the Hilton Rabat and several embassies. He knows perfectly the Moroccan aesthetic codes and how to work with local artisans. His challenge: reconcile Islamic architectural tradition (mihrab, hypostyle hall, square minaret, zelliges, sculpted plaster) with modern technical feats (retractable roof, heated floor, controlled ventilation, theatrical lighting).

Pinseau designs a Hispano-Moorish mosque, classical in its proportions but equipped with spectacular innovations. The reverse Latin cross plan orients the main axis towards Mecca, 4,700 kilometres to the south-east. The 210-metre square minaret breaks with the usual silhouette of Moroccan minarets (generally 60 to 80 metres). A central dome, seven monumental doors, hypostyle galleries all around: the mosque is meant to be a manifesto of Moroccan Islamic art.

Seven years of construction, 10,000 artisans

The first pick is struck on 12 July 1986. The construction will span 7 years. At the peak of activity, in 1991-1992, up to 35,000 workers and 10,000 specialised artisans work simultaneously. The trades are countless:

• Zellige cutters from Fes for the 67,000 m² of hand-laid enamelled tiles.
• Plaster sculptors from Tetouan for the stucco motifs chiselled on the interior arches and domes.
• Cabinetmakers from the Middle Atlas for the ceilings in Atlas cedar wood, sculpted and painted by hand.
• Coppersmiths from Marrakech for the monumental copper and bronze doors, plus the Murano crystal chandeliers mounted on metal frames.
• Marble workers for the laying of the 20,000 m² of marble, much of which comes from Carrara (Italy) while the rest is extracted from Moroccan quarries (Agadir, Tafraoute).

The total cost of the site is estimated at 5 billion dirhams of the time, or about 600 million current euros. A large part of the funding comes from a national subscription launched in 1988: 12 million Moroccans contribute by buying symbolic shares of 100 to 1,000 dirhams. This popular dimension is central to the monument's patrimonial status: it is not a solitary royal commission, it is a collective national work.

World records and particularities

The inauguration: 30 August 1993

Hassan II Mosque is inaugurated on 30 August 1993, on the eve of Mawlid (the Prophet Muhammad's birthday) and for King Hassan II's 60th birthday. Muslim heads of state, religious dignitaries and diplomatic delegations from around the world are invited. The ceremony is broadcast live by all Moroccan national channels. At the time, it was the world's second-largest mosque after Mecca, and the first in Africa.

Since then, several new giant mosques have been built (Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, Cologne Mosque, Faisal Mosque in Islamabad) pushing it back in the rankings by surface area. But Hassan II retains a few unbeatable records: the world's tallest minaret, the only retractable mosque roof, the only mosque built partly over ocean water.

Current patrimonial status

Hassan II Mosque has been featured on all Moroccan passports since 1995, on the 200-dirham banknote, and on many commemorative postage stamps. It receives more than 2 million visitors each year, including about 500,000 foreign tourists. It is one of the three most visited sites in Morocco along with Marrakech's Jemaa el-Fna square and Fes's medina.

The complex also hosts a Quranic school (Madrasa), a 50,000-volume library, a museum of Islamic civilisations, and a royal hammam never opened to the public (except for tourist guided tours). Arabic calligraphy and Quranic recitation classes are organised throughout the year. The mosque remains above all a living place of worship: the great Friday prayer gathers up to 80,000 worshippers on the esplanade.

What else is there to see in the neighbourhood?

The mosque's panoramic esplanade is freely accessible 24 hours a day and offers a spectacular view of the ocean. 10 minutes' walk away, the Aïn Diab corniche concentrates fish restaurants, café terraces and beach swimming pools. 15 minutes by taxi, the Habous quarter (new medina built by the French in the 1930s) hosts Casablanca's best pastry chefs. 20 minutes away, the Art Deco downtown, listed by the Casamémoire association, deserves a half-day on its own.