Casablanca has not yet revealed all its secrets

Looking at Casablanca differently, learning its history, discovering public or private places that are rarely accessible… This is the promise of the Heritage Days which are being held from May 22 to May 28, 2023.

This twelfth  edition offers a different angle of view: «Shedding light on all these invisible women who work to transmit beautiful things to us», according to the president of the Casamémoire association, Rabéa Ridaoui, hence the theme of this edition, «Journées du Matrimoine, Casablanca for women» in partnership with the city of Casablanca and the Ministry of Culture. Initiated as part of UNESCO’s  International Day for Monuments and Sites, this event has been held since 2009. In one decade, 13,000 children have been able to take advantage of the visits.

Private partners and sponsors, above all, do finance the event. Casamémoire still has a tight budget which has averaged 50,000 to 500,000 Dirhams (USD 50,000) since the launch of Heritage Days more than ten years ago. This did not discourage the association from moving forward. Its goal is to preserve the singularity of Casablanca and the collective memory, to enhance its architectural heritage, and to encourage cultural tourism and research.

Administrations, villas, cinemas, hotels, places of worship… The white city opens the doors to its most iconic  monuments in the city center, the old medina, the Habous district, as well as the avant-garde urban experience of housing for the greater number. An ancestor of the low-income housing of the 2000s, called «social» housing. For the time being, the administrative authorizations have not all been acquired. However, new circuits are emerging such as the Tit Mellil aerodrome which plunges us into the aeronautical history of Morocco and familiarizes us with the story of first African and Arab female aviator, Touria Chaoui. Another site worth seeing is the archaeological site of Sidi Abderrahman and its prehistoric history. The private property near the central market, the Assayag building,  is transformed into a cultural space. The transport museum and a new Casa West circuit  are also on the program.

Beyond its richness, Casablanca’s 20th century architectural heritage is under threat. «The inventory of historic buildings does not mean that they will be on the list of protected sites and even less that there will be funding to save them», regrets Amina M’Hamdi Alaoui, founding member and first president of the Casamémoire association. «The Urban Agency of Casablanca took over the inventory initiated by Casamémoire from 1995», according to Rabéa Ridaoui, the current president.. The association and its members are longing to see the result. In addition, 60 buildings have been awaiting registration for a long time. The Ministry of Culture manages this procedure, which is essential for the preservation of the buildings.

Five circuits and a great history

More than 300 volunteer and passionate guides will introduce visitors to Casablanca. Five circuits are proposed from Friday, May 26, 2023 (See map). This first day will be reserved for schoolchildren and the weekend to the general public. As a veritable architectural laboratory, Casablanca is full of stories and testifies to a rich, ignored, and poorly valued past.

■ Downtown and Old Medina

In the heart of Casablanca, you can take a tour around the main places in the city center, starting from the Zévaco dome, located on the United Nations Square. The old medina testifies to a past which today seems very distant, with its high walls erected at the beginning of the 20th century, when the city had only 20,000 inhabitants.

■ Habous district

There will also be a nice visit to the Habous district, crisscrossing its alleys filled with richly smelling foods, and shops filled with traditional outfits and beautiful handcrafted pieces. The start of this circuit is in front of this site.

■ West and East Casablanca

For the first time, the discovery of West Casa will be offered to visitors: the districts in question are Maarif, Riviera, CIL, Hay Hassani, and El Hank. Another circuit, East Casa plunges us into the industrial and working-class history of Casablanca. The departure point of the bus will be located at the United Nations Square.

This circuit notably includes the Roches Noires district built by the Frenchman Eugène Leudrat in the early 1910s. Heart of Casablanca industry in the 20th century, many historic companies reside in this district and its surroundings, such as Lafarge Cements or even the EEM factory.

Laura HUE & Mathieu OZANNE