Inside the Mausoleum of Mohammed V

I was pleasantly surprised that non-Muslims are allowed to approach the mausoleum of Mohammed V. It was my experience that I would have to stand outside to observe since a lot of places in Morocco are off limits to non-Muslims. Maybe it is because Mohammed V is not considered a religious figure but rather a political figure, thus it was okay for non-Muslims to approach. Mohammed V can be considered the father of Moroccan independence. He declared the independence of Morocco from this very place at the ruins of Hassan Tower. It is probably only fitting that he was also buried here. I went around the mausoleum building itself admiring the beautiful design of the building. There are actually four entrances one in each side but one of them is closed.

I went in the back and saw that there was a guard standing watch. He wasn’t really chasing people away so he is probably there only for display purposes. I could get in but I dared not take a photo inside. The inside of the mausoleum was very elaborate, I guess typical of these types of structures. The walls were covered in beautiful Islamic designed tiles. And the roof itself is probably one of the most impressive. It was almost reminiscent of the domes of Roman Catholic Cathedrals. Indeed, the dome shape was misleading since the roof was pyramidal in shape from the outside. The tomb itself is at the center of the structure with a Quran reader who is not visible from the upper deck. I didn’t see anyone taking photos so I refrained from taking one myself.

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