Hassane II Mosque

In this holy month of meditation, worship, and invocation, the Hassan II Mosque in Libreville is both a place of worship and reunion for members of the Moroccan community in Gabon, in the absence of any other meeting space. During the night, an unusual atmosphere takes over as men, women, and children converge from all sides, dressed in their best traditional clothes to perform the Isha and Tarawih prayers alongside Muslim brothers and friends of other communities. In addition to its spiritual role, the mosque also serves as a nostalgic visit for members of the Moroccan community. After a day of abstinence and renunciation, members of the Moroccan community congregate at the mosque to recreate a little of the ambiance of their home country, which they miss, especially in a nation where Muslims make up only 2% of the population.

The Hassan II mosque in Libreville, which bears witness to centuries of friendship and fraternity between Morocco and Gabon, transmits Islamic messages of love, morality, and humanism and helps to the spread of the faith. True to its goal, Gabon's largest mosque, a historical and spiritual landmark, attracts vast throngs of the devout who come there to answer Allah's call for the five daily prayers, as well as the Friday prayer. It brings together the country's Muslims, including men and women, with the goal of introducing them to Islamic teachings.

The mosque, which was inaugurated in 1983 and is located in front of the presidential palace in the heart of the capital, is built on a total area of 1.5 hectares and includes a large prayer hall of 3,500 m2 with a seating capacity of up to 5,000 faithful, another room for women, and a bathroom for ablutions, among other features. It features a 40-meter-high minaret. The interior is built of plaster, and wood, with typical multicolored mosaics adorning the walls, sculpted by talented Moroccan craftsmen in genuine beautiful Arab-Muslim style.

Location: Libreville, Gabon