Identity, Authenticity and Power. the Mosque of Hassan II

Abstract

Cultural identity can be expressed in many ways; perhaps most apparent is its manifestation in architecture. The contemporary mosque as a building type not only expresses collective identity but also symbolizes piety and is emblematic of how communities present themselves to the outside world. In general, contemporary mosques from the 1950s to the 1970s revealed a concern for projecting the 'modern Muslim'. However, since the 1980s, mosques commissioned by national governments and institutions seem to be more architecturally conservative and tradition-bound, and refer to past models that are seen as manifestations of political and religious authority. A case in point is the Mosque of Hassan II in Casablanca, Morocco, completed in 1993.