Casablanca, July 22nd, 2006 (WAM)- President H.H. Sheikh Khalifa binZayed Al Nahyan paid a visit this afternoon to King Hassan II Mosquehere.

Sheikh Khalifa was accompanied by Abbas Al Fasi, State Minister andhead of the accompanying delegation of honour. At the Mosque, he was received by Dr. Ahmed Al Tawfeeq, Minister of Islamic Affairs and Endowments,Mr. Mohammed Al Qabbaj, Mayor of Metropolitan Casablanca, and a numberof civil and military officials.

Sheikh Khalifa and the accompanying delegation toured the varioussections of the Mosque. The Minister of Islamic Affairs presented himwith a collection of rare Islamic books.

Toward the end of his tour, Sheikh Khalifa wrote down a brief remarkon the golden register in which he expressed happiness at the opportunityto visit "this religious shrine that reflects Morocco's civilisation".

Hassan II Mosque, built for the 60th birthday of former Moroccan kingHassan II, is a landmark of modern Islamic architecture. It has spacefor 25,000 worshippers inside and another 80,000 outside. At the top ofthe minaret towering 200 meters above the city, a laser beam visible 35kmaway, indicates the direction of Mecca.

Although Hassan II Mosque was designed by a French architect, it isMoroccan through and through. All of the granite, plaster, marble, wood,and other materials used in its construction were taken from around Morocco.

A workforce of 35,000, including 95 engineers and 10,000 traditional Moroccanartisans worked for seven years (1986-1993) to build the monument.

The mosque also includes a number of modern touches: it was built towithstand earthquakes and has a heated floor, electric doors, a slidingroof, and lasers which shine at night from the top of the minaret towardMecca.