Hassan II Mosque

No visit to Casablanca is complete without a stop at the Hassan II Mosque. It’s also a popular part of sightseeing tours and shore excursions, often alongside other Casablanca attractions such as the Royal Palace, Central Market, and Ain Diab Corniche. Many full-day tours from Casablanca or Marrakech combine a city tour with a visit to the Moroccan capital of Rabat. The mosque grounds and prayer halls are open to non-Muslims by guided tour only.

• Guided tours are held in multiple languages, including English, and last an hour.

• Tickets can be purchased from the ticket office at the south side of the mosque.

• A strict dress code is applicable to all visitors; shoulders and knees must be covered, shoes must be removed (plastic bags are provided), and women must cover their hair.

• The mosque is wheelchair accessible.

The Hassan II Mosque is located along the seafront Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah Boulevard, about 10 minutes via taxi from the city center.

The mosque’s seafront location makes it a stunning photo opportunity, and the best light can be found at sunrise and sunset. A nighttime visit is equally impressive, when the mosque is dramatically floodlit. It’s best to avoid visiting during prayer times, when the mosque can be crowded with worshippers, but multiple tours are held daily, with fewer tours available on Friday.

Built to commemorate the 60th birthday of Moroccan King Hassan II, the mosque was designed by French architect Michel Pinseau and was completed in 1993. Hand-carved ceilings, elaborate tilework, marble floors, and Venetian stained-glass windows are complemented by high-tech conveniences like heated floors and a retractable roof. Inspired by a Quranic verse about God's throne being built upon water, the seafront mosque features a glass-floored terrace that reveals the sea washing over rocks below.

Yes, non-Muslims are welcome to visit Hassan II Mosque, but they must join an organized guided tour. These operate outside of prayer times to avoid disturbing worshipers. It’s rare for non-Muslims to be allowed to enter mosques in Morocco, so visitors to Casablanca should make the most of this opportunity.

Tickets for a tour of Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca cost 130 MAD (US$13) for adults, 65 MAD (US$6.50) for Moroccan citizens, residents, and foreign students, and 30 MAD (US$3) for kids aged 6 and older. Kids younger than 6 are free. The attached museum costs extra.

Travelers should wear modest dress when visiting Casablanca’s Hassan II Mosque. The mosque requires visitors to cover the shoulders, chest, and knees. Shorts and short skirts are forbidden. You must remove your shoes at the entrance and carry them with you on the tour in the shoe bags provided.

A tour of Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca takes around 45 minutes. It's divided into three sections: the prayer hall, minaret hall, and ablution room. While you could spend more time touring this vast mosque, non-Muslims can only visit on a guided tour, which limits their ability to explore.

Although Casablanca’s Hassan II Mosque isn’t old (it was completed in 1993), it is beautiful. It has a 689-foot (210-meter) minaret that’s visible from much of the city. It’s one of the world's largest mosques. Its intricate details showcase fine Moroccan handicrafts, including gilded ceilings, mosaic tiles, and marble flooring.

Casablanca’s Hassan II Mosque is one of the largest mosques in the world. It can hold 105,000 worshippers, with room for 25,000 inside and more outside. The interior prayer room measures 215,278 square feet (20,000 square meters), and its minaret is 689 feet (210 meters) high.