Casablanca. Bogart and Bergman. Rick’s bar. Not. So sorry to rain on your fantasies. The film was shot in LA and the bar on which Rick’s was modelled is in Tangier.
We are spending only one night here. When I asked Issam why only one night, he replied that there’s nothing worth seeing in Casablanca except the Hassan II mosque.
Hassan II was the son of Mohammed V and the father of the current king, Mohammed VI. He wanted to build a symbolic mosque for Moroccans, and since there is reference in the Qu’ran to the throne of God being over water, two-third’s of this mosque was built over the Atlantic Ocean. Abdullah told us Hassan II mosque is the third greatest mosque in the world after Mecca and Medina. It has the highest minaret at 200 metres; it can hold 25,000 worshippers inside and accommodate another 80,000 on the grounds. It took six years to build; 35,000 construction workers and 10,000 artisans worked on the building. And it is pretty amazing, I have to say.
I hope you have enjoyed reading about my Moroccan adventure. I have enjoyed sharing it with you and hope I have whet your appetite for a trip to Morocco.
Leave a Reply