It’s 9 in the morning. A group of tourists wait patiently to enter the esplanade that surrounds the Hassan II mosque. The winter sun peeks over the horizon of the Atlantic coast and a couple of guards clear the gates that will open the way for the curious to enter. The mosque, named after the father of the current king, Mohamed VI, and previous monarch, is the second largest Islamic temple on the African continent. Before 2020, it held the top spot until China built Africa’s current largest mosque in the capital of neighboring Algeria.
Unlike other centers of worship in the country, the Hassan II Mosque is open to the non-Muslim public, although exclusively on a schedule of estimated times and accompanied by a guided tour. The center cost around $800 million and was largely financed by donations from the Muslim community from different parts of the world. It is one of the most attractive tourist spots in the city and, although it is not surprising, it is not the only one either.
Rick’s Café: a place made in hollywood
Lines are more than usual at the front door of Rick’s Café in Casablanca. Near the Arsat Zerktouni square we find the bar that aims to be the perfect replica of the legendary nightclub from the Casablanca movie. The feature film is one of the best-told Hollywood love stories on film and in a trip to the past, to the 80s, this hideaway in the Moroccan city recalls the romance between Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund.
Although the film was actually shot entirely in Hollywood studios and without setting foot in the original city of Casablanca, it was inspired by photographs taken by several Warner photographers. If they take care of something in this place, it is not only the aesthetics, but also the music. Its pianist, Issam, plays the classics of the time on piano, including As Time Goes By, star song in the movie.
A break in the Arab League Park with views of the Sacred Heart Cathedral of Casablanca
In the middle of the city, between institutional buildings, diplomatic delegations, hotels and offices, you find a green oasis. The Arab League Park, measuring 30 hectares, is one of the few green spaces in the center of Casablanca. Originally, the place was called Lyautey Park, in honor of the then representative of the French government in Morocco during the Protectorate, Hubert Lyautey. It was with Moroccan independence that it took the name of the current regional organization, of which Morocco is also a part.
In the center of the Casablanca expansion, between the old and new Medina, the Arab League Park is home to another place of particular interest: the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart or Sacré-Coeur, in French. Built in the 1930s and designed by Paul Tournon, it has not served as a church since 1956, after the country’s independence. The space, which is now Moroccan cultural heritage, has become a civic center that hosts exhibitions, concerts, fairs and even fashion shows.
Habous, the unnoticed medina of Casablanca
In Casablanca, if you talk about the medina, you set your eyes on the winding alleys around the Bab Marrakech, on an incessant honking of horns and on one of the mountains of mint that protrude from some of the market stalls. But not everything stops there. In the surroundings of the Royal Palace of Casablanca, we find the Habous neighborhood. Its name refers to the religious assembly that assigned housing within a medina.
This area was developed mainly during the French Protectorate and especially in the 1920s and 1930s, under the command of Marshal Lyautey. Its purpose was to accommodate numerous merchants and families from other parts of the country. Following its popularity, the French architects Albert Laprade, Auguste Cadet and Edmond Brion designed the area with a touch of modern urbanism and under the concept of the Villes Nouvelles, respecting the ancient cities of both Casablanca and Rabat.
From sea to table: a delicious meal at the Central Market
A gate connects the Boulevard of Mohammed VI with the Central Market of Casablanca. Inside, the vendors play at shouting louder. The fish is not sold. The puddles of water, of melted ice that cooled the merchandise, soak the ground until creating a smell more of the sea than the city. In the middle, in a square patio that surrounds the stalls inside, there are a dozen clandestine restaurants that also fight to seat the last curious or hungry person. The fish is not sold here either.
This place, which now hosts the frenzy of a local market and the satisfaction of a full stomach, was designed by Pierre Bousquet and completed in 1917. It was then the most important market in the new European city of Casablanca. A few years later, in 1953, Moroccan nationalist resistance fighter Mohammed Zarqtuni bombed the site after French forces forced Sultan Mohamed VI into exile on August 20 of that same year, during the Feast of the Sacrifice or Lamb. .
Sea and saltpeter: the new rock of Sidi Abderrahman
The rock, located a few meters from the Casablanca Corniche, is a refuge from the chaos of the Moroccan city. On this islet is the tomb of the marabout or Muslim saint, Sidi Abderrahman. According to legend, Abderrahman arrived on the island during the 19th century with the aim of retiring “from a cruel world for a holy man.” His house became the perfect place to receive pilgrims.
Currently, and after nine months of demolition and reconstruction, the space has taken on a new look. The mausoleum in Aïn Diab has been converted into a library and several exhibition rooms overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The space was inaugurated on September 19 under the coordination of the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs.
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