While I was visiting Casablanca on a work trip, I took a walk in the late afternoon with my colleague Manja to see the city. One of the main highlights of Casablanca is the Hassad II Mosque, located on the edge of the city next to the ocean. Construction finished in 1993, so it isn't exactly an ancient building, but it is certainly impressive.

To arrive at the mosque, we crossed a large courtyard with the minaret - the tallest in the world - looming ahead. The expanse of the mosque and the weight of the minaret create a sense of grandeur. Then we went in close and saw the detail carved into each stone, door, and archway. Unfortunately, we couldn't go inside. We had only one headscarf between us and the mosque didn't appear open to visitors at the time. But the sun was warm and the smell of saltwater was carried on the breeze as we walked around the mosque.