The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca

The Hassan II Mosque minaret rises 210 metres above the Atlantic Ocean.

The Hassan II Mosque stands on a promontory in Casablanca, Morocco.

A maximum of 105,000 worshippers can gather together for prayer here.

Twenty-five thousand people pray inside the main hall at once.

The retractable roof weighs 1,100 tons and opens in five minutes.

Three thousand three hundred Moroccan craftsmen contributed to building the mosque.

Six thousand artisans worked five years creating geometric patterns.

French architect Michel Pinseau designed the building under royal guidance.

Construction commenced on July 12, 1986 and lasted seven years.

During peak construction, 1,400 men worked during the day.

Another 1,100 workers continued building through the night shifts.

Twelve million people donated funds to finance the grand project.

A laser beam atop the minaret points toward Mecca each evening.

Two large breakwaters protect the mosque from ten-metre ocean waves.

The formal inauguration took place on August 30, 1993.