Mausoleum of Mohammed V, Royal mausoleum in Rabat, Morocco.

The Mausoleum of Mohammed V is a white marble building on the Hassan Tower esplanade, with a pyramidal roof of green tiles and a facade carved with a diamond lattice above three pointed arches. Inside, the royal sarcophagus of Pakistani white onyx lies under a gilded cedar dome, with the tombs of Hassan II and Prince Moulay Abdellah at the corners.

Construction began in 1961 and finished in 1971, with 400 Moroccan artisans working under Vietnamese architect Eric Vo Toan. The site was chosen because Mohammed V performed the first Friday prayer after independence there in 1955, on the esplanade facing the Hassan Tower. He was buried in 1961, followed by his son Hassan II in 1999 and Prince Moulay Abdellah in 1983.

The mausoleum keeps a golden book in which visiting delegations write messages of thanks to Mohammed V; signatories include King Juan Carlos I of Spain, Pope Francis and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. A reader is chosen for each Quran recitation session held inside, and the Royal Guard performs the flag ceremony and guards the tomb and its surroundings.

Entry is free and visitors should wear respectful clothing, particularly when entering religious spaces. The doors open in the morning and close in the evening, so visiting earlier in the day tends to be best.

An imam recites Quranic verses continuously near the royal tombs, adding a spiritual dimension to the visit. This daily practice has continued for decades and is a quiet sign of reverence for the departed king.