All You Need to Know About Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca

When it comes to Casablanca Hassan Mosque, the use of superlatives can not be avoided. If you are travelling to Morocco and plan to visit Casablanca, Hassan II Mosque is definitely a must see place. 

Facts About Casablanca Hassan II Mosque 

  • Hassan II Mosque is the only mosque that non-muslims can visit in Morocco
  • Is the  highest religious building in the world,
  • Hassan II Mosque is the largest mosque in Morocco and the second largest in Africa,
  • Hassan II Mosque was designed by French architect Michel Pinseau,
  • Cost of construction exceeded 500 million Euros,
  • The roof  of Hassan II Mosque  is retractable so that it can be opened for worshippers to see the stars at night,

 

 

  • Took 10,000 craftsmen and 3,000 workers six years to build  the Mosque, working 24-hours per day,
  • It took it  50 million hours of work to build the mosque,

 

  • The minaret  of Hassan II Mosque   is 210 m tall, and has a  30km laser directed towards Mecca,
  • 105,000 worshipers can attend the service (25,000 inside the mosque and 80,000 in the courtyard outside,

 

  • Craftsmen recruited from all over Morocco,  had carved 53,000 m2 of wood and assembled more than 10,000 m2 of zellige (ceramics) for the place of worship,
  • The full size of the Hassan II Mosque is 9 hectare or aprox. 22 acres,

Hassan II Mosque – Entrance Fees for Guided Tours of Interior of the Mosque

 

 

There is no entrance fee for being outside, but if you want to see interior of Hassan II Mosque with a guide there is entrance fee. 

Tourists pay 120 MAD, which is about 12 USD, while foreign students and foreign residents of Morocco pay 60 MAD (cca 6 USD)

Children under age 12 and Moroccan students pay 30 MAD

Children under 6 (accompanied by their parents)  – free entrance

VIP visit (private visit foress than 20 people) 2200 MAD

Groups with more than 100 people get 50 % discount on Casablanca Hassan II Mosque entrance fee.

Best to visit guided tour is early in the morning before the tourist buses arrive packed with tourists.

This is especially true for months in high season in Morocco, I visited in January and there were no crowds, was a very pleasant experience.

Tour guides to Hassan II mosque expect an extra tip at the end of the tour.

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Hassan II Mosque Tour Schedule and Working Hours for Guiding Tours of Interior of the Mosque

It is only possible to visit the mosque through guided tour outside of prayer times. Opening times vary throughout the year and afternoon tours don’t take place during the holy month of Ramadan.  Working hours are generally divided to Winter time schedule, summer time schedule and ramadan.

Winter Time Tour Schedule in Hassan Mosque

Tours are open from Saturday to Thursday in the mornings and one tour in afternoon:

  • Saturday – Thursday: at 9AM, 10 AM, 11 AM and 2 PM in the afternoon.
  • Friday: 9AM and 10 AM in the morning and 2 PM 

Summer Time Tour Schedule in Hassan Mosque

In Summer GMT +1 time, schedule is similar to winter time, except for additional tour at noon and  afternoon tours start at 3 PM, additional tour is added at 4 PM

Tours are open from Saturday to Thursday in the mornings and two tour in afternoon:

  • Saturday – Thursday: at 9AM, 10 AM, 11 AM, Noon, and 2 PM in the afternoon.
  • Friday: 9AM and 10 AM in the morning and 3 PM  and 4 PM local time

Working Hours During Ramadan

During Ramadan, guided  tours are open  only in morning hours:

  • Saturday – Thursday: at 9AM, 10 AM, 11 AM,
  • Friday: 9AM

You can not book or purchase tickets online. There is a  ticket office  at the beginning of the complex in front of the large parking lot. The tours take about 40 to 45 minutes. 

hassan mosque casablanca Morocco

Dress Code and Etiquette in Hassan II Mosque 

  • Wear clothes that cover your shoulders, chest and that are as long enough to cover until your knees. Shorts and short shirts are forbidden.
  • No smoking, eating or drinking while visiting the mosque please.

 

  • Remove your shoes before entering the mosque and take them with you. Bags are at your disposal at the entry of the mosque.
  • To make the life of the guides easier, please respect the hours and stay in your group while visiting.

 

  • Do not go beyond the chains that are around the Séguia for security reasons.
  • Do not use video cameras or any other electronic device that makes noise inside the mosque.

Guided Tour to Hassan II Mosque

How the tour looks like and what will you be seeing in the guided tour? Tour is divided in four sections and lasts about 40 minutes. You will see:

  • Prayer Hall,
  • Minaret,
  • Ablution Hall,
  • Hammams and swimming pools.

hassan mosque casablanca interior

The Prayer Hall

The prayer hall is characterised by its rectangular shape and the size of its proportions: 200 m long, 100 m wide and 60 m high. The area measures 20,000 m² and its capacity is about 25,000 worshipers. The prayer hall is also characterised by its removable roof, covering an area of 3,400 m², which is able to open in only five minutes. 

The roof is adorned with a series of 14 domes, and 50 Murano glass chandeliers of 6 m in diameter, 10 m in height and a weight of 1200 kg each.

The roof covering required the installation of 300,000 tiles made especially of cast alluminum, imitating the traditional glazed terracotta tile from Fez but four times lighter.


hassan II mosque casablanca morocco guide

Ablution Hall

Like everything in this mosque is grand, this hall consists of 41 marble fountains in the form of lotus flowers and 600 water points. Maximum capacity at once is 1600 people.

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Hammams and Swimming Pools

As is the tradition of Morocco, the Hassan II Mosque has two identical hammams, one for women and another for men with an area of ​​6000 m 2 . 

They consist of two spaces: the first with three rooms for the ritual of the Moroccan bath and the second for relaxation; it is equipped with a basin of water heated to 38 ° C with a depth of 1.5 m and steam vents; in an arch and vault decoration in Zellige (ceramic)  and Tadelakt (moroccan plaster) .

The Hammams are built in the basement of the courtyard of the Mosque, on an area of 6.000 m2. They are designed to accommodate 1,400 people equally divided between women and men.It is accessed by an enormous staircase decorated with green marble columns and friezes finely encrusted with Zellije.
 Casablanca Hassan Mosque Guide Morocco

Other Things to Know

Mosque is located  2km from the Gare Casa Port (train station) along Blvd. Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah. If you are taking red taxi in Casablanca, a common short taxi ride should not cost more than 15 MAD to 20 MAD. Most likely you will be charged 50 MAD if you dont haggle. 

If you are looking for hotel close to Hassan II Mosque, Melliber Hotel is the closest.