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Published: August 6th 2018
Visit Morocco
Poster from Abderrahmin Slaoui MuseumAfter an uneventful, rather boring train trip from Fes, I arrived in Casablanca. My train compartment was full this time around, but it’s still more comfortable than the average airline seat in economy class.
Unlike in Tangier and Fes where I stayed in a dar, or guesthouse inside the medina, in Casablanca I stayed in a proper business hotel. There are advantages to both types of accommodations, but I was happy to have an elevator to get to my sixth floor room.
Hassan II Mosque One of the reasons I chose this hotel was because of its proximity to the Corniche, a broad walking path along the Atlantic, as well as to the Hassan II Mosque. I could see the mosque from my hotel window, and even though I was on the sixth floor, the minaret towered over me. I arrived in Casablanca in the afternoon, and after checking in, I walked over to the mosque, just to admire it from the outside.
Even when you are there, it is hard to appreciate the vastness of the plaza surrounding the mosque. The minaret is the tallest in the world at just under 700 feet, and it is
the only minaret in the world with an elevator to bring the muezzin to the platform for the call to prayer. The plaza can accommodate about 80,000 people, (80,000!) but the afternoon I was there people were using it as a place to watch the sunset and let their kids run around and fly kites. Some very brave – or very foolish – young men were diving off the sea walls into the water below. A miscalculation would have them landing on the rocks below the wall.
The next day I was chatting with the front desk clerk and he asked if I had been to see the mosque. I told him I had walked around the outside, but, not being Muslim, I didn’t go in. I wish I was allowed in, I sighed, because it looks absolutely beautiful.
“But you can go in!” he said in surprise. “There are tours, in English, and it’s OK for you.” Once we established that my religion was not a barrier, and that while visitors are asked to dress modestly, I was not required to wear a head scarf, I made plans for the following morning.
Much as the outside
plaza is impressive, it does not prepare you for the stunning enormity of the interior. The central nave at 200 meters by 100 meters (about 656 feet by 328 feet) holds 20,000 worshipers, with room for another 5,000 in the women’s balconies. The roof is made of painted and carved cedar wood, and can retract in nice weather to bring in sunlight. Pretty much every surface you see is covered with beautiful carvings or exquisite tile work. The carved capitals on top of the soaring columns hide the sound system, pretty clever for such a vast space.
There is a roped off path through the center of the worship space. At one end is the impressive King’s Door, which is used by, you guessed it, the King and no one else. The roped off path is also for his sole use. The door is made of brass and titanium, stands about 50 feet tall, and weighs about 30 tons.
On the lower level of the mosque are the ablution rooms, one for men, one for women, I think these should really be called ablution halls because they are so big. There are fountains carved in the shape of
balcony for muezzin
tallest minaret in the world lotus blossoms; water bubbles up in the middle and runs down the channels carved between the petals. The worshippers can then wash their hands, face, mouth, arms, and feet before prayer.
The Abdurrahman Slaoui Foundation Museum Unlike the Hassan II mosque, which is impossible to miss, the Abdurrahman Slaoui Foundation Museum is hard to find. It’s in a residential neighborhood that is also home to several consulates. This is a small, private museum with collections of posters, jewelry, ceramics, and Moroccan fine art.
I particularly like old advertising posters, especially old travel posters, and I was happy to see the abundance of travel posters on display as part of their permanent exhibit. There are also exhibits of crystal cosmetic boxes and silver containers for kohl. The collections are spread over three floors of a small house, and the top floor has an outside terrace, which is a nice place to sit for a moment. This is a nice, human-size museum, and I enjoyed it immensely.
As I was trying to make my way back to Boulevard Moullay Idriss – which I knew would take me back to the coast (eventually) I stumbled across the Cathedrale Sacré-Cœur,
which was closed for refurbishing. I couldn’t find anything that gave a timeline for when the Cathedrale would re-open, but if you are in the neighborhood it’s worth checking out.
Possibly Useful Information: - Tours for the Hassan II Mosque take place every day at 9, 10, and 11 in the morning, and 2:00 in the afternoon. The cost is MAD 120, or about US$ 12.
- As a visitor, you must go with a tour. Tours start from the mosque museum, which is in front of the plaza. Your tour fee also gives you entry to the mosque museum, which gives some detail of the various techniques used in building the mosque. It also has clean bathrooms.
- The Abdurrahman Slaoui Foundation Museum is a little difficult to find, but if you turn north-east by the US Consulate you’re close. Admission is MAD 30, or about US$ 3.
- The museum has a limited number of reproductions of old advertising posters for sale.
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starship VT
starship - VT
Really enjoying reading each of your blog segments on Morocco! Both the mosque and museum look like places I'd want to visit. Notice your mention of old travel posters --- I'm a big fan of them as well!!