Blog #6

Since I was 8 years old, I have gone visited the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco every time I went to go see my family. After being in the space multiple times, I have noticed many theological elements that were intentionally placed or designed in the architecture. After watching the lectures and reading the provided texts, I have been able to see this mosque anew. Even though Islam and Christianity have some differences they are also more alike than most people think. In the context of the space, the building is rectangular in shape on the interior with high ceilings to allow for people to enter dimensional spaces and feel close to God as they are praying. The group is made up of ceramic tile for people to kneel over the sea while they perform their five prayers throughout the day. The mosque also has a spotlight on the very top which I never thought much of, but its significance is that it points toward the East where Mecca is located. The Mecca in Saudia Arabia is a well-respected place for pilgrimage for the Muslims and I had never realized the direction the Hassan II Mosque spotlight was point until further digging and analysis from the lectures. A difference however is that in the mosques, a woman must enter veiled as a sign of respect for space and God’s dwelling and the same goes for men. There are also two different spaces in the mosque for men and women. Space is architecturally designed with thought especially when it comes to the location right beside the Atlantic Ocean. The architect had the Quran verse in mind “the throne of Allah was built on water” when constructing this mosque.

The roof has about 14 domes and about 50 glass chandeliers, indicating the huge opening of the place and the grand presence of God surrounding us. The mosque contains many doors and entrances all leading to the inside of the sacred space, signifying how people may enter many-dimensional spaces they wish to choose or different modes of bonding, almost similar to the idea of multiple altars. There is also a sliding roof that opens up occasionally to show the heavens and point to God. It comes into direct contact and shows the sky, similar to paintings on the ceilings in many churches such as we talked about in the Basilica. The area for the women is designed in dark red colors and carpeted to allow sacred space for prayer for the women. The architecture is Moorish and inspired by the rich history of Morocco and has mosaic tiling around it. There are also spaces outside of the interior for the dwelling. The mosque also has pillars/columns holding it up much like in Romanesque churches. In Islam, there are 5 pillars: fasting, praying, shahadah, zakat (donating), and pilgrimage. Not only do these pillars hold up Islam but they also hold up this mosque and all that it encompasses. The vast space really speaks to encountering God and being alongside others and praying. The movement around this mosque and kneeling and going up and kneeling again shows how this movement takes up space. It is thought out and in combination with prayer, it brings us closer to God, as liturgy and mass do with prayer and eucharist and music coming together to make Christ manifest.