Packages to Morocco

Holidays in Morocco become more enjoyable to those who are looking for African safari packages. There are various packages to Morocco offered by various travel companies but it is good to choose a company that offer great packages to Morocco including full information about the country and its history. There are many adventures to do and see in country and one can love to spend holidays there. The mosque of Hassan is one of the great mosques to see there.

The mosque of Hassan II

The mosque of Hassan II is one of the greatest and most magnificent modernly constructed mosques in the whole world. It was erected in 1993, after 7 years of hard work, to be the second largest mosque in the world and an amazing piece of Islamic art attracting thousands of travelers who come for vacations in Morocco.

It is an architectural miracle. This is what many people call the Mosque of Al Hassan II in Morocco hosting the highest minaret in the whole globe. The mosque was designed by the French architect, Michel Pinseau. A Morocco trip would never be completed without paying the mosque a visit.

Historical Background

It seems like the Moroccans are fond with the idea of constructing the largest mosques in the world, the tallest minarets, and the largest structures. Moroccans have always been interested in locations near the Mediterranean Sea from one side and the Atlantic Ocean from the other, a site that have usually attracted tourist going on Morocco travel tours .

In the reign of Almohad Dynasty, and in Particular during the rule of Sultan Yaqub Al Mansur (1184 -1199 AD) many fabulous giant constructions have been built including the towering minaret of the Hassan Mosque in Rabat, the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakesh, and the Giralda in Seville.

The construction work of erecting the towering minaret of the Mosque of Sultan Al Mansur has started in 1195. Unfortunately, when the Sultan died in 1199 the construction work of the mosque stopped when the minaret was only 44 meters long which was in fact only half the planned height of the minaret that was supposed to be 86 meters. Only some few walls and two hundred columns of the original plan of the mosque were completed.

The most significant feature of this towering minaret is that it doesn't have hypochondriacs but it has a sloppy surface where the Muezzin, or the person calling for prayer, stands to call people to come for prayers.

The Spanish have used the same method of construction in erecting the towering minaret of Giralda in Seville. However, they slightly changed its design adding a cathedral bell to its top but still the overall look of the minaret has remained the same as the one of Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakesh. The towering minaret of Hassan in addition to the Mausoleum of Mohamed V is considered landmarks of Rabat and many tourists come visit them every day.

Many foreign armies have come to invade Morocco including the Romans, the Byzantines, and the Vandals. This took place before the Islamic armies came to Morocco in 681 AD. However, Morocco was not established as a state before 788 AD when the Idrisids and in particular when Idris I became the ruler of Morocco. Many Arab and Islamic dynasties have controlled Morocco afterwards including the Marinids, Almohad, and the Saadi. This is why millions of tourists go on holidays to Morocco to view the art and the history of all these dynasties and many Morocco tours offer the travelers with amazing visits of the historical monuments spread all over the Moroccan Kingdom.

The construction of the mosque of Hassan II

In 1664, The Alaouite Dynasty came in power in Morocco with many important country leaders ascending from this dynasty including King Mohamed V, King Al Hassan II, and finally King Mohamed VI who has become the King of Morocco in 1999.

In the mid 80s, King Al Hassan II decided to begin constructing the second largest mosque in the world that hosts the tallest minaret in the world being 210 meters high.

In his historical speech in 1986, King Hassan II has mentioned his intension to erect a great mosque. He said "I want to build this mosque on the water, because God's throne is on the water. Therefore, the faithful who go there to pray, to praise the creator on firm soil, can contemplate God's sky and ocean. Al Hassan II, the former king of Morocco, wouldn't have ever known that tourists from all over the world reserving travel packages to Morocco would come and appreciate the beauty of his mosque

In the summer of the year 1986, the Moroccan Government officially announced the implementation of the project of constructing the Mosque of Hassan II. The government has called for more than 35 thousand workers who are specialists in different types of crafts. This is besides more than 90 architectural engineers and most of them were Moroccans with some foreigner experts. These groups of worker and engineers have worked day and night for seven years to finish this piece of art.

The description of the Mosque of Hassan II

This amazing modern Mosque has added a special a special flavor to Casablanca, being relatively a new city in comparison to other cities in Morocco like Rabat or Marrakesh.

When a traveler views the mosque of Hassan II from the Atlantic Ocean, he sees the mosque as if it was a huge ship floating on the waters of the ocean. When he comes nearer to the mosque, he can then observe the greatness of the mosque with its nine high entrances and colorful windows all around it.

The main entrance of the mosque is located in its Southern side. The entrance leads to a long corridor until the visitor reaches the main structure of the mosque that includes the minaret of the mosque with its famous square shape style that is a significant feature of Islamic architecture in Morocco and North Africa.

The idea of building the Mosque of Hassan II in that exact location was inspired by a verse of Quran that says the throne of Allah was built on water. Therefore, the architects of the mosque made sure that the inner prayer hall would be built on top of the water of the Atlantic Ocean. This made the person who prays in the mosque see the blue color of the water when he kneels during prayer and views the same beautiful color if he stares at the sky. This is because the ceiling of the mosque, with an area of 340 meters, can be automatically opened within 3 minutes of time.

The old and the modern arts have harmonized fabulously in the ceiling of the mosque that was richly decorated in the traditional Arabian style and in the same time, the ceiling can be completely opened automatically to be one of a kind in the whole world. The ceiling of the mosque is among the features that amaze the visitors, who go on Morocco tours, of the mosque

The mosque contains more than 2500 columns and 65 thousand tons of alabaster was used in its remarkable decoration.

The main inner prayer hall of the mosque of Hassan II is of rectangular shape with a length of 200 meters and a width of 100 meters. It can host up to 25 thousand people. This is besides the outer open air prayer hall that can take more than 100 thousand persons.

The mosque of Hassan II is famous for its Moroccan wood works, gypsum containing remarkable geometrical decorations, and the fabulous Arabic writings on its walls.

The construction of this great mosque has cost more than Five Billion Moroccan dirham and the building work took more than 7 years.

The overall surface area of the mosque is 625 square meters with each side of the structure of the mosque being 25 meters long. The Mosque of Hassan II was equipped with the largest laser rays to identify the direction of the Qibla, or the direction of Mecca, where Moslems should face during their prayers.

The minaret of the mosque of Hassan II

If the construction work of the towering minaret of the mosque that was being erected by King Yaqub Al Mansur has stopped because of the death of the king, the towering minaret of the mosque of Hassan II has raised a day after the other to reach 210 meters to become the highest minaret in the whole world making the dream of King Hassan II come true.

The Mosque includes an Islamic Madrasa, or a school teaching Quran, a rich library containing a large number of books and manuscripts, conference and lecture halls, and many other services being provided to the community. Hundreds of visitors who go on Morocco trips visit the mosque everyday as it is considered one of the few mosques were non-Muslims are welcomed in Morocco

Many Morocco private tours would certainly include a remarkable visit to the mosque of Hassan II as it is considered to be a landmark of Moroccan Kingdom.

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