5 Best Sights in Rabat, Casablanca, and the North Atlantic Coast, Morocco

This mosque dominates the city skyline, and through its monumental titanium doors, it’s a masterclass of Moroccan craftsmanship—hand-carved plaster, gilded cedar ceilings, exquisite zellige tilework, and acres of marble. Its foundations lie partly on land and partly in the sea. The main hall, with a retractable roof for summer months, holds an astonishing 25,000 people, with a further 80,000 in the courtyard. The minaret is more than 650 feet high, and the women's section on the mezzanine floor (about 6 feet above the main floor) seems dwarfed by the nearly 200-foot-high ceiling. Don’t miss the marble ablution room; there is also a small museum showcasing the crafts involved in its construction.

Funded through public subscription, designed by a French architect, and built by a team of 35,000, the mosque was erected between 1987 and 1993 and is one of the largest in the world. It was built in Casablanca primarily so that the largest city in the kingdom would have a monument worthy of its size. Except for the ruined Tinmel mosque in the High Atlas Mountains, this is the only mosque in Morocco that non-Muslims are allowed to enter. One-hour guided tours of the mosque are offered daily (six per day, Saturday to Thursday; four on Friday, with reduced hours during Ramadan). Be sure to dress conservatively, and note that you will be required to remove your shoes at the entrance.

If you fly out of Casablanca, try to get a window seat on the left for a good view of the mosque in relation to the city as a whole.

Beyond the Portuguese Cistern on Rua da Carreira is a fine old mosque, and its original construction makes it one of the focal points of the city. The beautiful white minaret is unique in that it has five sides, all with rounded edges.

A few steps from the tomb of Sidi Abdellah ben Hassoun is the Great Mosque, also known as Masjid al-Tal'a. Built by the Almohad dynasty in the 12th century, this beautiful structure is the third-largest mosque in Morocco, after the Hassan II in Casablanca and the Kairaouine in Fez. Non-Muslims cannot enter.

Built in the 1980s by King Hassan II in honor of his granddaughter, this mosque is proof that the tradition of Moorish architecture that produced the Court of Lions in Granada's Alhambra is alive and well. Notice the exquisite sandstone work on the walkways surrounding the mosque, and look up at the colorfully painted geometric designs on the ceilings. The mosque is surrounded by immaculately kept gardens. Non-Muslims may not enter, but there's plenty to admire from outside.

Rabat's largest and most important mosque was originally erected in the 18th century. Since then it's undergone various rebuildings but has nonetheless been sheltered from architectural anarchy, retaining its beauty and dignity to this day. The French had wanted to extend Avenue Mohammed V through the site; however, Moroccans resisted. Thanks to the martyrs of that confrontation, the mosque still stands on its sacred ground. Non-Muslims may not enter.