Submitted by Thomas Elia on the 2024 Winter ARAB program in Morocco…
Directly after flying into Casablanca, Morocco, we traveled the short distance to the Hassan II mosque. We were met by a grand building constructed out of marble, with green roofs and green accents. The courtyard itself was expansive and floored with marble. The minaret of the mosque commanded the sky with it’s height and width. Entering into the mosque we were met with grand rooms decorated with inscriptions from the Quran as well as engraved patterns and designs in the ceiling and walls. To know that the courtyard would hold upwards of 80,000 people and the interior of the mosque another 25,000 was mind blowing. To reflect on this experience, it is amazing to see the ability of humans to construct such structures as well as the determination to honor and worship their religious beliefs. (Submitted on January 9, 2024)