Ahead of my arrival to Morocco this morning, I initially expected to find strictly traditional attire everywhere I went. I was under the belief that I’d stand out quite heavily by not being covered head-to-toe in robes. Instead, I was surprised to find that not entirely to be the case! I was able to observe a vibrant mix of styles in terms of clothing today, where there was a clear mixture of traditional Moroccan attire alongside western-inspired clothing. This difference from my expectation to reality has aided in challenging my assumptions in what daily life here could look like.

Now, where was I able to observe all of this? We as a group took a trip to the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, where we had the privilege to tour both the exterior and some of the interior. Something that I found incredibly interesting about the Mosque’s design was the fact that it had a retractable ceiling in the main prayer hall. What makes this so surprising is both the scale of the Mosque itself but also the design making the structure feel centuries older than it actually is.

Although I didn’t get to witness the roof opening myself, I was able to picture how the natural sunlight could enhance the marble floors and illuminate the rest of the sacred space, while also allowing for extra airflow when the Mosque is packed to the brim. In addition, there are several other features that the Mosque is capable of implementing to make an everyday experience there all the better. For starters, there are countless speakers seamlessly integrated within the interior architecture to effectively cover the whole space with noise while not taking away from the design. Furthermore, all doors are functional via electronics to open/close, allowing for more space effectiveness and ease of access and denial.

These examples, alongside many other features inside the Mosque, is a perfect example of how Morocco has been able to blend tradition with technological improvements