By Kunle Solaja, Casablanca.

A visit to Casablanca is incomplete without standing before the awe-inspiring Hassan II Mosque, a monument that rises boldly from the edge of the Atlantic Ocean and blurs the boundaries between faiths, cultures and architectural traditions.

The free match days of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco offer an opportunity to visit the iconic structures which combine elements of education, culture and faith. According to the tour guide, Morocco, though an Islamic kingdom, is also tolerant of other faiths, as there are Jews in Morocco as well as Christians.

From a tourist’s perspective, the first striking feature is its location. Built partly over the Atlantic, the mosque appears to float above the sea, with waves rolling beneath its foundations. The constant murmur of the ocean lends the site a natural soundtrack, reinforcing the spiritual symbolism of water in Islamic tradition while creating a serene atmosphere for visitors.

The tolerance explains why Morocco seems to be galloping ahead of most modern states in terms of all-around development. Arabic and French are the official languages; English is also widely spoken in Morocco.

Tour guide, Marzouk Abdeltif, a retired university lecturer, explained that the kingdom has always been blessed with good leaders.

Standing with my tour guide, a retired university professor

The Hassan II Mosque was the brainchild of King Hassan II, who, while passing by the location, asked what the place was for. It was actually an abandoned public swimming pool by the ocean side. That was the origin of the religious, educational, and cultural project that also contributes meaningfully to the ever-growing economy of Morocco.

Thousands of tourists visit the place, irrespective of their faith and culture. For instance, a tourist pays 140 Moroccan Dirhams (MAD), which is about $15.

Dominating the skyline is the mosque’s minaret, which is reputed to be the tallest in the world at about 210 metres. It is visible from almost anywhere in Casablanca and serves as both a spiritual beacon and a geographical reference point.

At night, a laser beam from its summit points toward Mecca, blending modern technology with religious symbolism.

The imposing mosque is built partly on the Atlantic Ocean

Inside, the Hassan II Mosque reveals one of its most fascinating peculiarities. An architectural language that crosses cultural and religious divides. While firmly rooted in Islamic design, the interior carries an unmistakable cathedral-like outlook.

The vastness of the prayer hall, the soaring columns, the sense of vertical lift and the orchestration of light evoke elements commonly associated with great European cathedrals. This fusion creates a space that feels both familiar and universal, even to first-time visitors from non-Islamic backgrounds.

Moroccan craftsmanship remains at the heart of the design. Hand-carved cedarwood ceilings, intricate zellige tilework, sculpted plaster and polished marble reflect centuries-old artisan traditions.

Yet woven into these details are influences from other cultures, subtly incorporated through symmetry, spatial arrangement and decorative rhythm, giving the mosque a cosmopolitan identity befitting Morocco’s historical role as a crossroads between Africa, Europe and the Arab world.

Among its modern features is a retractable roof that opens to the sky, allowing sunlight and fresh air to flood the prayer hall within minutes. Heated marble floors and elaborately designed ablution areas further underline the mosque’s blend of comfort, innovation and reverence.

Unlike many mosques of its scale, the Hassan II Mosque is open to non-Muslim visitors through guided tours, reinforcing its role as both a religious sanctuary and a cultural bridge. Tourists walk its halls in quiet admiration, often struck by how seamlessly the building accommodates devotion, dialogue and discovery.

Inside the cathedral-like mosque

More than a landmark, the Hassan II Mosque is what Casablanca is best known for—a monument that unites tradition and modernity, Islam and global culture, the land and the sea. For visitors, it stands not just as a place of worship, but as a powerful symbol of coexistence, openness and architectural ambition on the Atlantic edge of Africa.

The mosque features 25 gates, 20 of which are for men, four for women and the central one is designated as the Royal Gate for the King. He can move straight to the front and pray behind the Imam. In a normal worship session, the mosque holds about 20,000 male worshipers, while another section is designated for the females and can hold 5,000 of them.

During Ramadan, the bowl of the vast cathedral-like mosque can accommodate slightly over half a million worshipers. It is forbidden for the Imam to make political preaching. According to the tour guide, the sermons are written.

The ladies in Morocco also dress freely, as King Hassan II was quoted to have remarked that worship is in the heart. Morocco practices Sunni Islam. The guide explains the symbolism of the Moroccan flag, which comprises a five-pointed outlined green star over a red background.

The red background symbolises power. The green of the star indicates peace and freedom. The five-sided star, which closely resembles the Seal of Solomon, is explained as indicating the five tenets of Islam – symbolising the strong bond between God and the nation, peace, hope, and the five pillars of Islam (faith, prayer, charity, fasting, pilgrimage).

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