The gates are embellished with marble bars which have faux voussoirs (alternately smooth or sculpted). To build the minaret, a crane with a record height of 210 m was installed. The Hassan II Mosque or Grande Mosquée Hassan II (Arabic: مسجد الحسن الثاني ‎; colloquially the "Casablanca Hajj") is a mosque in Casablanca, Morocco.It is the largest mosque in Morocco, the second largest in Africa, and the 5th largest in the world. History of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. The minaret is 60 stories high topped by a laser, the light from which is directed towards Mecca. [21] The roof is covered with cast-aluminium tiles, (similar to the Fez tiles), stronger and more reliable than traditional ceramic tiles, and about 35 percent lighter. It showcases art pieces from various traditional Moroccan arts as well as unused architectural elements of the mosque, such as carved stucco, painted wood ceilings, and zellij walls. Its minaret is the world’s tallest minaret at 210 metres (689 ft).Completed in 1993, it was designed by Michel Pinseau and built by Bouygues. With its minaret that rises to 200 m in height and has a 30km laser directed towards Mecca, it is considered to be the highest religious building in the world. [4] The mosque stands on a promontory looking out to the Atlantic Ocean; worshippers can pray over the sea but there is no glass floor looking into the sea. Through this architectural masterpiece, His Majesty Hassan II wanted to highlight the importance and value of the mosque among Moroccans throughout history, just as He wanted to show that this place of worship has played an important role in the promotion of authentic architectural art and the preservation of the civilizational heritage, especially since the Casablanca Hassan II mosque reflects the great talents of the Moroccan Artisan. Such panels, built with multicolored arches, engraved with ornamented floral designs, appear like a geometrical framework when viewed from the outside. The central hall is centrally heated, and provides spectacular underwater views of the Atlantic Ocean. In the words of the authors of the book Morocco Country Study Guide, the Hassan II Mosque "undeniably marks the continuity of a modernized ancestral art and bears the sign of innovations that are due not only to technical reasons but also to a fertile exploration of new aesthetic possibilities. Apart from the mosque, other structures in the area are a madrasa (Islamic school), hammams (bathhouses), a museum on Moroccan history, conference halls, and a very large library said to be the "most comprehensive in the Islamic world. During the most intense period of construction, 1400 men worked during the day and another 1100 during the night. The king Hassan II Casablanca mosque is the largest mosque in Africa paper writers college interesting research topics for high school students, and the 5th largest in the world. All of these works involved use of 1300 tons of special steel (with 40 tons of Mo) of 8–20 millimetres (0.31–0.79 in) bars with yield strength of 850 N per mm2. The doors are electrically operated. This building was thus inaugurated on the occasion of the celebration by the Muslim world of aid al mawlid 12 Rabi I 1414 AH corresponding to August 30, 1993. [17] A particular feature in the mosque is that all structures are made of reinforced cement concrete and all decorations are of traditional Moroccan design. Called B.H.P (highly resistant concrete), it offers a resistance to compression value of 1200 bars per sqcm (claimed to be a world record) and has a very quick setting time. [16] It is ornamented with pale blue marble and Zellige tilework. glazed traditional from Fez but four times lighter. In the first phase a leak-proof coffer dam was constructed to isolate and dry the work area. The design of this work was the result of collaboration between the office of the French architect Michelle PINSEAU and the various Moroccan artisanal bodies that have created and revive by the hand of maâlem (master) beauty and the splendid seal of Moroccan architecture. [9] A temporary pier 800 metres (2,600 ft) in length had to be erected to protect the foundations of the pillars from the sea during the construction period. Historical Mosquee Hassan II The Hassan II Mosque was built under the reign and directives of King Hassan II. Since the mosque … Cranes were also designed to suit the height of the minaret for concreting. [11] Six thousand traditional Moroccan artisans worked for five years to create the abundant and beautiful mosaics, stone and marble floors and columns, sculpted plaster moldings, and carved and painted wood ceilings. The historical context of the mosque began with the death of King Mohammed V in 1961. Hassan II Mosque is actually unique in its architecture and size. The story around the Hassan II Mosque is quite impressive. From the nearest train station at Casa-Port it is about a 20-minute walk to the mosque. [9], Construction costs, estimated to be about 585 million euro, were an issue of debate in Morocco, a lower mid-income country. For the construction of the building containing the prayer hall, the minaret and the madrasa, twelve tower cranes of 220 rpm and eight mobile cranes were installed. If you want to keep up to date with news and important events concerning the Hassan II mosque foundation, Boulevard de Tiznit, Casablanca, Grand Casablanca, Casablanca 20000, Maroc. Around 1980, King Hassan the II commissioned the mosque because he felt that Casablanca lacked impressive and beautiful buildings and a true landmark for the city. The formal inauguration was subsequently chosen to be the 11th Rabi' al-Awwal of the year 1414 of the Hijra, corresponding to 30 August 1993, which also marked the eve of the anniversary of Prophet Muhammad’s birth. [16] Tadelakt, a plastering technique which adds egg yolks and black soap into mixed plaster, was used in the hammam baths. Salt water migrating into the porous concrete caused the rusting of the rebar steel reinforcements resulting in expansion of the steel and causing cracking of concrete. The prayer hall is also illuminated by light from the glass gates on the northern wall.[21]. "[12], The prayer hall is on the ground floor. These were made from high-strength concrete with 2205 stainless steel reinforcements. The faces of the facade have carved ornamentation with different materials. Stay connected! The central hall is undulating with a succession of numerous domes from which glass chandeliers, imported from Murano, are hung. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. The garden around the mosque is well tended and is a popular location for family picnics. A maximum of 105,000 worshippers can gather together for prayer: 25,000 inside the mosque hall and another 80,000 on the mosque's outside ground. At 210 metres (690 ft) in height the minaret is the second tallest minaret in the world. [citation needed] Its minaret is the world's second tallest minaret at 210 metres (689 ft). [21] This was explained as being due to exposure to the salt water of the Atlantic Ocean, into which nearly half of the mosque’s foundation projects. - Mosquée Hassan 2 Read more + Visits Prices Change at The Complex of the Hassan Second Mosque. [6], The mosque rises above the Atlantic Ocean. The walls are of hand-crafted marble and the roof is retractable. [14] Twelve million people donated to the cause, with a receipt and certificate given to every donor. Subject to very severe climatic constraints (swell, humidity, spray) Hassan II mosque has, despite constant maintenance, shown signs of early aging in 1998 (cracks, falling formwork panels), found the Associated Press. Two large breakwaters were also built, to protect the mosque from the erosive action of the ocean waves, which can be up to 10 metres (33 ft) in height. Its layout is known as the basilican plan, which is different from the common practice of a T shaped plan adopted in many North African countries. The qibla wall is perpendicular to the naves which is said to be an unconventional layout, given that it is customary for the rows of worshipers facing Mecca to be as wide as possible rather than extend farther back (Halod and Khan 1997, 61).