Archive for January, 2013

The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco

Ceiling in the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco

Wherever one looks in theĀ  Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco there is brilliant artistry on display. The above photo shows details of just one part of the ceiling.

I could have spent hours wandering around this enormous building while taking photographs like this one, but we had to keep up with the tour group and the special guide taking us on the tour of the mosque.

The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco

The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco

Wherever one looks inside the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco, there is beautiful artwork enhancing what is one of the most amazingly stunning buildings anywhere. Over recent posts I have featured some of this artwork and there are more to come in the next few days. Today’s photo shows some of the mosaics and woodwork panelling on the walls. My photos hardly do it justice.

The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco

The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco

On our first morning in Morocco we visited the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, one of the largest mosques in the world. We were looking forward to seeing the mosaics in Moroccan buildings, and we were not disappointed on this occasion – and it was only the very first morning of our two week tour.

Shown in the photo above is some of the detail of the floor mosaics. The designs were amazing, the artistry inspiring and the finish immaculate. I could have lingered for many hours just soaking in the brilliance of the artisans who created this magnificent building, but sadly, we were ushered along by our guide if we didn’t keep moving.

Despite the sacred nature of this building to the local Muslims there were few restrictions on us as visitors. Sure, we had to remove our shoes on entering which was something we expected. But as for taking photographs there was no hindrances to snapping away at whatever took our fancy.

I’ve already shared a few photos in recent posts here and have many more to show in the coming days.

The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco

The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco

One of the highlights of our visit to Morocco was a hour or so spent at the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca on our first morning in the country. This enormous mosque is architecturally stunning, both in design and size. The photos do not do it justice, and one’s camera does a poor job of conveying the sheer magnificence and beauty of such a structure. Truly awe inspiring.

The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco

The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco

The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco