Hassan II Mosque
One of the world's largest mosques, built dramatically over the Atlantic.
The Hassan II Mosque is a genuinely staggering feat of architecture and ambition, completed in 1993 after six years of construction and commissioned by King Hassan II to mark Morocco's greatness in stone and tile. It sits on a promontory jutting into the Atlantic Ocean — the king reportedly wanted it built on water, inspired by a Quranic verse — and can accommodate 105,000 worshippers inside and on its esplanade. The minaret stands 210 metres tall, making it the tallest religious structure in the world, and a laser beam at its tip points toward Mecca each night.
Visitors who aren't Muslim can explore the mosque's interior on a guided tour, which is genuinely worth doing. The prayer hall is breathtaking: carved cedar ceilings, hand-cut zellige tilework, Italian marble floors, and retractable glass panels in the roof that can open to let in the sky. The scale is almost disorienting — the hall holds 25,000 people and the columns dwarf everything. Below the prayer hall, there's a hammam and ablutions hall open to visitors, both executed with the same extraordinary craftsmanship.
Tours typically run several times daily in multiple languages and last about an hour. Non-Muslim visitors cannot enter independently — you must join a guided group — so plan around the tour schedule, especially on Fridays when access may be restricted. The mosque is set in a large open esplanade that's free to walk around at any time, and the view from outside — particularly at sunset or when the minaret is illuminated at night — is spectacular even without going inside. Budget a bit of extra time to sit on the sea wall and take it all in.