Rocking the Kasbah and Other Places in Casablanca

The second day were docked in Casablanca, I took an independent tour I'd booked through Viator called Casablanca Cruise Break Tour including Guided Mosque Ticket.  There were only 5 of us.  Our guide was Redwan (no idea of the spelling but he said it was like “red wine” but with an “a”)  who was charming, knowledgeable, and very good.  The driver was Hussein and I sure didn’t envy him.  The traffic was chaotic and that is an understatement!

Our first stop was the Hassan II Casablanca Mosque which is unquestionably the main attraction in Casablanca.  Not only is it the largest mosque in Morocco, it is also the largest mosque in the whole of Africa.  In fact, it is the third largest in the entire world with only the mosques of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia being larger.  The idea to build the Hassan II Mosque was first conceived in 1984.  They began building in 1989 and incredibly it was finished just 6 years later in 1993.  It was an immense feat of ambition, perseverance and workmanship to complete this structure in such a short period of time.  In fact, it required a vast workforce of 10,000 of Morocco’s most talented craftsmen to work in shifts for 24 hours a day for the entire 6 years.  99.9% of the construction materials came from within Morocco. They sourced just two features from elsewhere.  These are the chandeliers, 57 of them in total, which came from Venice and two pillars which stand either side of the Mihrab which are also Italian and made from Carrara marble.  The mosque can accommodate 105,000 worshippers in total:  20,000 men inside, with a balcony that can hold 5,000 women. There is also space outside on the concourse for an extra 80,000 worshippers.  1/3 of the Hassan II mosque is actually over the Atlantic sea, a feature inspired by a verse in the Qur’an which says “the throne of God was upon the water”.

While the building looks timeless, even ancient, it was actually pretty cutting edge for when it was built. Hassan II Mosque boasts electric heated floors for when it gets chilly in winter.  As well as possibly the most impressive technical feature, a vast electric sliding roof.  The roof opens in just 3 seconds and shuts in only 2 and was installed instead of air conditioning for hotter days when the mosque is full.

Because it was Ramadan, the mosque would be closed before noon for prayers so we needed to be there by 10:30.  We went inside and had to take our shoes off but, interestingly, didn’t need to cover our heads.  The guide explained a lot about the interior – the wood, the tiles, how it was facing Mecca, where the women prayed in a balcony above and separate from the men who prayed on the main floor.  He also explained his philosophy of religion and that the three main ones, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are all essentially much the same with Judaism being the oldest.  His interpretation is that we are all worshipping the same God.  I can’t say I disagreed with him. 

After walking around the main floor we then went downstairs which the area for ablutions.  Prior to entering Salah (Prayer), the person is required to undertake a certain purification procedure known as "Wudu" (Ablution) without which, the person's prayer would not be acceptable in the sight of Almighty Allah. This performance is called wudu (ablution) and it should be preferably carried out as per procedure told by Allah in Quran and also by our Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W.) in Hadith.  The area was filled with marble fountains for washing the face, hands and feet in a prescribed ritual. 

Once we left the mosque, we were driven around the Corniche (the crescent-shaped bay) to the other side so we could get a look at the mosque from a distance.  It was impressive from any angle!  

From there, we stopped briefly at a souk (bazaar) so we could see some of the shops.  

Then, we were driven to a food market which we walked through seeing all sorts of seafood and other products.  There was even one selling horse meat.  

The turtles were live but not being sold as food but as pets

We stopped briefly at the Royal Palace but it was difficult to get a photo there.  

During much of the tour, possibly more than an hour of it all told, we were stuck in traffic.  It was crazy.  I did try to take a few photos from the van to give an idea of what the activity on the streets looked like.  It isn't great but you may get the idea.  The other thing to mention is that much of the signage in Morocco is in French although the official languages are Arabic and Berber Arabic.

Then, we visited a Catholic church called Notre Dame de Lourdes de Casablanca.  It was quite a modern church with stained glass windows that reminded me of the modern one in Berlin.  There was also a grotto on the church grounds that I assume was built to replicate the one in Lourdes, France. 

Next up was a walk through Arab League Park, a 30 acre urban park lined with palm trees.  We then stopped briefly at Mohammed V for a photo op.

Our final stop was at a souvenir shop.  I wanted to buy a fridge magnet but didn’t have any local currency.  The shop owner gave me one which was very nice of him.  Thankfully, one of the other women bought two bracelets which made the owner happy.  

From there, we were just driven back to the ship.  The tour had been very good although at least an hour of it was spent in the slow-moving traffic.  It seemed to be jammed wherever we went.  I can honestly say I have no desire to return to Casablanca!