Travels Within Morocco: Casablanca

We went to Casablanca two weekends ago. We were only able to spend one day and one night in the city and I do not think that was nearly enough. I could easily have spent 3 or 4 days here. One major reason is seafood. I am a huge seafood lover and Morocco has a huge seafood industry. Unfortunately, only on the coast. It is very difficult and not always a good idea to get seafood in Meknes, so I was in heaven in Casablanca. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Lets talk some history first.

mmm seafood...

Casablanca, founded in 1912, is one of the newest cities in Morocco. The site was an earlier Berber trading point with the Portuguese and the Spanish, but this was destroyed in the 15th century. After that, the town was rebuilt and torn down by various monarchs, until it reached its present name and form: Casablanca. Casablanca is now the commercial and financial center of Morocco and is one of the most modern cities.

The name Casablanca refers to the architecture of the city. Most of the houses and buildings are white and done in European architecture of the 1920s and 1930s. This means lots of Art Deco and Art Nouvou that mixes with the traditional Moroccan styles. In other cities, the lines between Moroccan and European are very blurred, in Casablanca they are very clear.

The big attraction in Casablanca( besides the Atlantic ocean) is the Mosque of Hassan II. This is the largest mosque in Morocco and the fifth largest mosque in the world. Construction was begun in 1986 and took 7 years to complete. This was to be the major undertaking and proof of wealth and power by the late King Hassan II, King Mohammed VI's father.

The Mosque of Hassan II

I have no words to adequately describe how big this mosque was. If you look at the size of the people in the pictures that will give you an idea. The minaret is 82 feet wide and 656 feet tall. Just for comparison, the Statue of Liberty is 151 feet tall and the Washington Monument is 555 feet tall. In total, the mosque covers some 968,774 square feet, two thirds of which are actually over the sea. It was designed by Michel Pinseau, a French architect, and is covered in everything I have come to expect from Moroccan design. There is detailed tile and stucco covering every inch. Curved lines, marble, and domed ceilings that seem a million miles high.

see the tiny people?

Main Hall of the Mosque

The atmosphere inside the mosque is surreal. The latticed windows and intricate lamps create very soft sunlight areas that contrast highly with deep shadows.

The main level of the mosque is one large hall with a sectioned off area at the end for prayer. The prayer area is covered in carpets and has inscriptions from the Quran posted on the pillars and walls. 

Shoes are not permitted in mosques so we were all in our socks or bare feet.

In the basement there is a gigantic hammam that has never been used. The king had it built just for show.

The hammam inside the mosque. This hammam is much grander and more ornate than the hammams that Moroccans normally use.

In addition to the Moroccan Hammam, the king also had a Turkish Hammam built inside the mosque. It is absolutely beautiful. I would love to relax in the water and the beauty of the room. This hammam has also never been used.

Turkish Hammam.

Casablanca also has a wonderful medina. It is not quite as old of a medina as those in other cities, but it still has all the same features. Small minarets dart up all over the place and shop keepers are ready to barter. I bought an awesome pair of sandals and a ring bracelet combo. Tiffany and I also ended up in a shop for about an hour because the shop owners were trying to sell us everything in the place. We ended up having turbans wrapped around our heads and Tiffany was offered 100 camels for her hand in marriage. 

                                              

Entrance to the king's palace in Casablanca

Casablanca, I've heard, also has a very active nightlife. I didn't really get to experience this first hand because it was raining and we didn't want to stray to far from the hotel. There are bars and dance clubs in Casablanca which just shows how modern the city really is. A small group of us wondered around for awhile looking for a  little bar to just hang out in, but it was raining and getting late so we gave up and went to Kentucky Fried Chicken. Yes, you read that right. You have no idea how happy we all were to be there. Everyone loves the Moroccan food, but this was just a perfect taste of home. The only downside, KFC in Casablanca does not have mashed potatoes. Tiffany and I took our chicken back to the hotel, The Prince of Paris, and watched Polar Express on the English movie channel. Even if we never found the bar, this evening got an A+ from me. 

I'm just napping in front of the palace, no big deal