The Hassan II Mosque is a mosque in Casablanca, Morocco. It is the largest mosque in Africa, and the 7 th largest in the world. Its minaret is the world’s second tallest minaret at 210 metres.

Designed by French architect Michel Pinseau, construction of the Hassan II Mosque began in July 1986 on land reclaimed from a run-down area near the sea. The goal for completion of the mosque was King Hassan II’s 60th birthday in 1989, but it ended up not being finished until August 30, 1993.

Nearly all the materials of the Hassan II Mosque are from Morocco, with the sole exceptions of the imported white granite columns and glass chandeliers (from Murano, near Venice). The marble is from Agandir, the cedar wood is from the Middle Atlas and the granite comes from Tafraoute.

Over 6,000 Moroccan master craftsmen and artisans were employed to work these local materials into the intricate decorations that embellish the entire structure. When construction passed its deadline in the early 1990s, 1,400 men worked by day and 1,000 worked by night to bring the vast project to completion.