Casablanca may be the cosmopolitan, industrial and economic heart of Morocco
(and its largest city), but it is one of the less endearing of the country's sights. With a
small, unassuming medina and a traffic-congested ville nouvelle, travellers arriving
via Casablanca may be tempted to find the first train out of to nearby Rabat. The
awe-inspiring Hassan II Mosque and happening nightlife, however, are worth at
least a day of your Moroccan itinerary.
With a majority of the modern economic sector being based in the Casablanca
region, and the Casablanca area being dominant in industrial and service sector
activity, it is often and justifiably referred to as the economic capital, although
Morocco's political capital is Rabat. It is also the primary naval base for the Royal
Moroccan Navy.
Casablanca is the leading city hosting headquarters and main industrial facilities for
the leading Moroccan and international companies based in Morocco. Industrial
statistics show Casablanca retains its historic position as the main industrial zone
of the country. The Port of Casablanca is considered as Morocco's chief port and as
one of the largest artificial ports in the world. It is also the largest port of the Maghreb
and North Africa.
The area which is today Casablanca was settled by Berbers by at least the 7th
century. A small independent kingdom, in the area then named Anfa, arose in the
area around that time in response to Arab Muslim rule, and continued until it was
conquered by the Almoravids in 1068.
During 14th century, under the Merinids, Anfa rose in importance as a port. In the
early 15th century, the town became an independent state once again, and emerged
as a safe harbour for pirates and privateers, leading to it being targeted by the
Portuguese, who destroyed the town in 1468.
The Portuguese used the ruins of Anfa to build a military fortress in 1515. The town
that grew up around it was called "Casabranca", meaning "White House" in
Portuguese.
Between 1580-1640 was part of Spain, and later part of Portugal again. They
eventually abandoned the area completely in 1755 following an earthquake which
destroyed most of the town.
The town was finally reconstructed by sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah (1756-1790),
the grandson of Moulay Ismail and ally of George Washington. The town was called
Dar el Beida (white house) in Arabic and Casa Blanca in Spanish.
The famous 1942 film Casablanca underlined the city's colonial status at the time --
depicting it as the scene of a power struggle between competing European powers,
carried out with little reference to the local population. The film's vast cosmopolitan
cast of characters (American, French, German, Czech, Norse and some other
nationalities) includes only a single (uncredited) Arab character, "Abdul" the
doorman whose role in marginal.
PLACE TO VISIT
Port of Casablanca - refers to the collective facilities and terminals that
conduct maritime trade handling functions in Casablanca's harbours and which
handle Casablanca's shipping. The port is considered as Morocco's chief port and
as one of the largest artificial ports in the world. It is also the largest port of the
Maghreb and North Africa.
Casablanca Cathedral - is a Catholic cathedral located in Casablanca,
Morocco. It was built in 1930. It ceased to function as a church in 1956, after the
independence of Morocco and become a cultural center. The cathedral was
designed by French architect Paul Tournon using the Neo-Gothic style.
Casablanca Technopark - is an information technology Business cluster
complex located at Casablanca, Morocco. It was inaugurated in October 2001. It is
Morocco's first industrial park. The project is under the supervision of Ministry of
Communications of Morocco and has Abderrafie Hanouf as its general manager. Its
mission is dedicated to enhance the development of information technology in
Morocco. Its main specialties are software engineering and IT ventures.
Casablanca Twin Centre - is a complex of two skyscrapers located at
Casablanca, Morocco. The two structures, the West Tower and the East Tower have
28 floors each. The architect was the Spanish Catalan Ricardo Bofill Levi.
Hassan II Mosque - is a mosque located in Casablanca, Morocco. Designed
by the French architect Michel Pinseau and built by Bouygues[1], it is the second
largest in the world (after the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca). It stands on a promontory
looking out to the Atlantic, which can be seen through a gigantic glass floor with
room for 25,000 worshippers. A further 80,000 can be accommodated in the
mosque's courtyard. Its minaret is the world's tallest at 210 metres
Lycée Lyautey - is the name of a high school belonging to the French Mission
in Casablanca, Morocco. The name of the Lyautey College of Casablanca comes
from that of the Marshal Lyautey, the first Resident-General in Morocco during French
Protectorate at Morocco, during first half of 20th century.
Mohammed V International Airport - is an airport in Casablanca,
Morocco. It is a hub of Royal Air Maroc. The airport was named after King
Mohammed V of Morocco. The Mohammed V Airport is twinned with the
Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and Yaser Arafat
International Airport.
Old City - there is a small old town in Casablanca. If you are in town it may be
worth a visit, but the cities of Fes and Marrakech pale it in comparison.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Mohammed V Int'l Airport (IATA: CMN) is the busiest gateway to the
country and is well-connected to Europe. Royal Air Maroc flies to New York JFK,
many cities in Europe, and has connecting flights to African countries such as
NIgeria, Central African Republic, Senegal, and others.
By train - Casablanca Voyagers station serves trains to Fes, Marrakech, Tangier
with stops in between. The trains are comfortable, the stations easy to navigate, and
boards display the time of departure/ arrival.
