What an amazing morning – we visited the second largest functioning mosque in Africa (also 14th largest in the world). The minaret was the world’s tallest until neighboring Algeria built one slightly taller (competition?). The mosque took 10,000 artisans 7 years to build. They worked in shifts 24 hours a day. Everything is handmade/carved and all materials were sourced from Morocco – except for the chandeliers which came from Italy.
At one time, up to 105,000 people can pray at the mosque – inside and on the esplanade. An amazing fact – this mosque was built extending over the Atlantic Ocean. Yes, OVER, the ocean. It is a beautiful site to see the waves from the esplanade.
At the center of the prayer hall, there is a retractable cedar roof. It is massive and operated by a remote control. This mosque is a unique combination of ancient artistry and modern technology. Interesting fact – the minaret has two elevators rather than the traditional steps.
Fun fact: I could see the minaret from our hotel room in the middle of the night – we were pretty far away…..
Here is a photo dump from the visit.
