About 240 km north of Marrakech, Casablanca is Morocco's largest city and its economic powerhouse. For visitors, it often comes down to a single monument: the Hassan II Mosque, completed in 1993, built partly over the Atlantic Ocean, with a minaret rising to about 200 metres. It is one of the few mosques in the country whose interior non-Muslims can visit, on a guided tour. The direct ONCF train links the two cities in about 2 hr 40 min, so a return trip in a day is possible if you leave early.
Highlights
The Hassan II Mosque
Built between 1986 and 1993 to plans by the French architect Michel Pinseau, it stands on a platform reclaimed from the sea. Its esplanade, open to everyone, runs along the ocean. At the top of the minaret, a laser with a range of 30 km points towards Mecca.
The prayer hall
The guided tour of about 45 minutes takes you into the prayer hall, which covers 2 hectares, then down to the ablution rooms. You see the work of craftsmen from all over Morocco: zellige tilework, carved cedar wood, stucco, marble and copper. Part of the roof can open to the sky.
The Habous quarter
Designed by protectorate-era architects and built from 1918 onwards, this "new medina" combines arcades, lanes and small squares in a Moroccan style. Its religious bookshops, olive sellers and pastry shops make it a calm stop after the mosque. The nearby city centre has many Art Deco buildings.
Infos pratiques
Tips
The guided tour costs 140 MAD for a foreign adult, 70 MAD for Moroccan residents and foreign students, and 30 MAD for children over 4; it is free for under-4s (prices checked in October 2026 on the Hassan II Mosque Foundation website). Tickets are sold on site at the ticket office before the tour starts. Clothing must cover the shoulders, chest and knees: shorts and sleeveless tops are not allowed. You take off your shoes at the entrance to the prayer hall; video cameras and audio equipment are prohibited. The mosque museum requires a separate ticket, at 30 MAD for a foreign adult.
How to get there
By direct ONCF train from Marrakech station (Gueliz) to Casa-Voyageurs, in about 2 hr 40 min, with around ten departures a day; allow about 100 to 150 MAD in 2nd class depending on the day and time (prices checked in October 2026). Buy your outbound and return tickets in advance at the ticket office, on the ONCF website or in the ONCF app, and check the time of the last evening train. From Casa-Voyageurs, the mosque is about 5 km away: take a red metered small taxi, 15 to 20 minutes depending on traffic. Address: Boulevard Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah, Casablanca.
Opening hours
Nearby
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