"A Wise Passiveness"

To read my other posting about this mosque, click here.

God's House

The Hassan II mosque in Casablanca is an impressive and massive site. The woman who took us on the tour said the mosque cost $800 million "that we know about." Seriously.

What really struck me about the mosque was its intricacy, it was clear a lot of time and effort went into its conception and construction. The house of worship was built right on the Atlantic Ocean. It is so calming being there looking at the elaborate architecture while listening to the sound of the waves crashing into the barrier wall outside.

Click on the images to see the details.

Moorish Memories

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I took this picture in Denia, Spain which is located on the country's Mediterranean coast known as Costa Brava. In the center of town, the rocky ruins of an ancient fort sit on top of a small hill overlooking the marina and the water. Denia once served as the capital of an Islamic-ruled kingdom and the fort was built during that time. The French later re-built the fort in the early 19th century but it still has Moorish design elements like this gorgeous doorway.

The walk up the hill to the fort is quite enjoyable. It takes you past charming houses built into the hillside and one part of the fort overlooks an old church that still actively serves the community.

If you'd like to see some other photos I took in Spain, click here or here.

School for the Faithful

Tucked inside the Marrakech medina is the Ben Youssef Medersa which a 16th-century Koranic school. At one point, it was the largest Islamic school in North Africa. It is now a museum. The school was originally built in the 14th century only to be rebuilt some 200 years later. As many as 900 students from Muslim countries all over the world reportedly once studied at the Ben Youssef Medersa with all of them cramming into the 132 rooms arranged around the courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard, there is a tiled water basin which is the subject of this photograph. Click on the picture to see a more detailed view.















The Ben Youssef Medersa is a place of serenity, reflection and comfort. The intricacy of the building is amazing but what really strikes you when you are there is the calmness you feel in a fast-paced city like Marrakech.

For my several other Morocco posts on this blog, you can click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, or here.