Mohammed VI, the king of Morocco, ordered all the country's mosques to be examined after a centuries-old minaret of a mosque in Meknes fell during Friday prayers.
Meknes, an ancient city, is on the Unesco's World Heritage list. The ministry of religious affairs has said over 500 mosques would be completely demolished and rebuilt, the BBC reported, adding that makeshift tents would be provided for prayers.
The ministry said it has inspected over 19,000 of the country's nearly 48,000 mosques. A sum of $325 million has been set aside for improvement work, including demolition and rebuilding of 513 mosques.
Published 11 August 2010, 04:34 IST