Rabat, March 25 (IANS): The landmark Hassan II Mosque in Morocco's Casablanca switched off its lights for one hour on Saturday to mark the Earth Hour.

The mosque, which is built on a promontory over the Atlantic Ocean and can be seen from miles away, went dark from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time, joining other global landmarks in a move to raise awareness about the impacts of climate change, Xinhua reported.

The Foundation of Hassan II Mosque said in a statement that its participation in the Earth Hour movement stems from its awareness of the greenhouse gas emissions and therefore the importance of energy savings to protect our environment.

Many Moroccan companies and public bodies took part in Earth Hour 2018 by symbolically turning off non-essential lights.

Every year, millions of people around the world join the event and switch off their lights for one hour to show support for protecting the planet and stopping climate change.

Earth Hour started as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Since then it has grown to engage more than 180 countries and territories worldwide.