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Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why Casablanca is the best Moroccan city for architecture fans
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). Casablanca is well versed in transformation. Anfa, the Amazigh settlement that once stood here, was obliterated by the Portuguese in 1468. When they returned to rebuild the town half a century later, they renamed it 'Casa Branca' (White House). An earthquake then levelled the region in 1755, prompting Moroccan ruler Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah to build the whitewashed Medina. Earning itself the local name Dar al-Baida — literally 'House of the White' — it came to be known as Casablanca among the Spanish, who added touches of their own, including the 19th-century Church of San Buenaventura. Art nouveau and neo-Moorish buildings were then erected by the French, who established Casablanca as a business hub after their arrival in 1907. It went on to become a French protectorate in 1912 and remained so until 1956, with Assunna Mosque and Rue d'Agadir Market — futuristic constructions designed by Franco-Moroccan architect Jean-François Zevaco — marking a new era of independence. Visitors now flock to the city to explore its varied architecture. Neo-Moorish buildings merging Islamic and art deco elements can be found around Boulevard Rachidi, with highlights including La Poste Centrale, the Palais de Justice and L'Église du Sacré Coeur, an ivory-white cathedral built in 1930. The Quartier Habbous is equally charming. Constructed predominantly between the 1920s and '30s to accommodate an influx of Moroccan merchants, the southern district has an artisanal edge, with plenty of craft and leather stalls. Keep an eye out for the ornate wooden doorway leading to Pâtisserie Bennis Habous, which serves almond-filled kaab el ghazal (gazelle horns) and other delectable Moroccan pastries. To discover Casablanca's more recent urban developments, head to Boulevard de la Corniche, where the emerald-tiled Hassan II Mosque juts out over the ocean. You can organise a guided tour with Casamémoire, a non-profit that's been working to preserve the city's 20th-century architecture since 1995. A few historic art deco establishments have been transformed in the city's Petit Paris district. Opened in April 2024, the Royal Mansour Casablanca hotel has been revamped in the style of its 1950s predecessor, while Ciné-théâtre Lutetia and Cinema Rialto offer a window into the city's fabled cinematic history. Young locals tend to gather on the clipped lawns of Arab League Park and Anfa Park. The latter is often used to host Casablanca's annual summer music festivals: Jazzablanca and Alif Festival both draw in large crowds, while L'Boulevard, held at the nearby Stade RUC, is well known for hosting artists from Morocco's blossoming rap scene. Contemporary dance styles are also a big draw; onlookers often gather along the palm-shaded steps of the Villa des Arts gallery to watch breakdancers from the local BIM Breaking association. Casablanca's creative spirit seeps into its street art, too, with avant-garde designs depicting extraterrestrial life forms lining the Corniche promenade. Nevada Skatepark, one of the biggest in Africa, also has a number of bold pieces, including A Glitch In The Skatepark by local artist Abidwane. A little quieter than those of Fez or Marrakech, the medina's snaking, cobbled streets are full of vendors serving fresh fish sandwiches and syrup-coated sweets stuffed with dates. Plastic tables and chairs fill the larger squares, where visitors while away the hours sipping coffee from miniature glass cups. Dar DaDa, a courtyard restaurant, offers more substantial meals, including hearty chicken tagine. Typical Moroccan dishes are also available from Saveurs du Palais, an intimate restaurant further west in the Maârif district, where guests settle on low cushioned seating to enjoy chicken pastilla and slow-cooked lamb tagine. If you'd like to learn how to make Moroccan dishes yourself, Taste of Casablanca hosts a tour of the city's markets, where you'll roam in search of ingredients for your guided cookery class. Published in the June 2025 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
National Geographic
21 hours ago
- National Geographic
Why Casablanca is the best Moroccan city for architecture fans
Located on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, the nation's most populous city is a layer cake of soaring mosques, art deco cinemas and technicolour murals. This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). Casablanca is well versed in transformation. Anfa, the Amazigh settlement that once stood here, was obliterated by the Portuguese in 1468. When they returned to rebuild the town half a century later, they renamed it 'Casa Branca' (White House). An earthquake then levelled the region in 1755, prompting Moroccan ruler Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah to build the whitewashed Medina. Earning itself the local name Dar al-Baida — literally 'House of the White' — it came to be known as Casablanca among the Spanish, who added touches of their own, including the 19th-century Church of San Buenaventura. Art nouveau and neo-Moorish buildings were then erected by the French, who established Casablanca as a business hub after their arrival in 1907. It went on to become a French protectorate in 1912 and remained so until 1956, with Assunna Mosque and Rue d'Agadir Market — futuristic constructions designed by Franco-Moroccan architect Jean-François Zevaco — marking a new era of independence. Visitors now flock to the city to explore its varied architecture. Neo-Moorish buildings merging Islamic and art deco elements can be found around Boulevard Rachidi, with highlights including La Poste Centrale, the Palais de Justice and L'Église du Sacré Coeur, an ivory-white cathedral built in 1930. The Quartier Habbous is equally charming. Constructed predominantly between the 1920s and '30s to accommodate an influx of Moroccan merchants, the southern district has an artisanal edge, with plenty of craft and leather stalls. Keep an eye out for the ornate wooden doorway leading to Pâtisserie Bennis Habous, which serves almond-filled kaab el ghazal (gazelle horns) and other delectable Moroccan pastries. To discover Casablanca's more recent urban developments, head to Boulevard de la Corniche, where the emerald-tiled Hassan II Mosque juts out over the ocean. You can organise a guided tour with Casamémoire, a non-profit that's been working to preserve the city's 20th-century architecture since 1995. A few historic art deco establishments have been transformed in the city's Petit Paris district. Opened in April 2024, the Royal Mansour Casablanca hotel has been revamped in the style of its 1950s predecessor, while Ciné-théâtre Lutetia and Cinema Rialto offer a window into the city's fabled cinematic history. Young locals tend to gather on the clipped lawns of Arab League Park and Anfa Park. The latter is often used to host Casablanca's annual summer music festivals: Jazzablanca and Alif Festival both draw in large crowds, while L'Boulevard, held at the nearby Stade RUC, is well known for hosting artists from Morocco's blossoming rap scene. Contemporary dance styles are also a big draw; onlookers often gather along the palm-shaded steps of the Villa des Arts gallery to watch breakdancers from the local BIM Breaking association. Casablanca's creative spirit seeps into its street art, too, with avant-garde designs depicting extraterrestrial life forms lining the Corniche promenade. Nevada Skatepark, one of the biggest in Africa, also has a number of bold pieces, including A Glitch In The Skatepark by local artist Abidwane. A little quieter than those of Fez or Marrakech, the medina's snaking, cobbled streets are full of vendors serving fresh fish sandwiches and syrup-coated sweets stuffed with dates. Plastic tables and chairs fill the larger squares, where visitors while away the hours sipping coffee from miniature glass cups. Dar DaDa, a courtyard restaurant, offers more substantial meals, including hearty chicken tagine. Typical Moroccan dishes are also available from Saveurs du Palais, an intimate restaurant further west in the Maârif district, where guests settle on low cushioned seating to enjoy chicken pastilla and slow-cooked lamb tagine. If you'd like to learn how to make Moroccan dishes yourself, Taste of Casablanca hosts a tour of the city's markets, where you'll roam in search of ingredients for your guided cookery class. Royal Air Maroc flies direct from London. Royal Mansour Casablanca is a 40-minute drive from Mohammed V International Airport and has double rooms from 5,655 MAD (£460), B&B. This story was created with the support of Royal Mansour Casablanca. Published in the June 2025 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK). To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
