Casablanca unveils itself over three days
Is Casablanca angel or demon? Neither. It is a life-size urban, architectural, and sociological puzzle. A city where each place has its own history, atmosphere, and characters… A compendium of the Kingdom of Morocco from the early 20th century to the present day.
The Casablanca Heritage Days are an opportunity to see and explore L’Baïda mon amour. From May 17 to 19, 2024, the Casamémoire association invites young and old alike «to travel free of charge through time and space». Not to mention over forty workshops, exhibitions, conferences, and other events scheduled from Monday May 13.
«Casablanca, heritage in motion» is the evocative theme of this 13th edition. Volunteer guides will be on hand from 10 am to 5 pm. Only for tours of the old medina, city center and Habous. For reasons of distance and logistics, only two departures are scheduled, at 9.30 a.m. and 2 p.m. for the Casa-Est and Casa-Ouest circuits.
Friday May 17 is reserved for public and private schoolchildren. The list of beneficiary schools is already complete. The weekend of May 18-19 is reserved for the general public. A visit can last an average of two hours. So don’t forget your walking shoes.
The division of Dar El Baïda into zones reserved for commerce, housing, leisure and industry is one of the legacies of Casablanca’s first development plan. Drawn up in 1915 by architect and town planner Henry Prost.
Visitors will be spoilt for choice. Five tours are on offer. The old medina, known as the «indigenous city» under the French protectorate (1912-1956). With its winding lanes, where you can discover the Ould Hamra mosque, the saints and their legends, the history of the Sqala bastion and the must-see Heritage Interpretation Center…
The city center, with bd Mohammed V and place Mohammed V. Administrative buildings, such as the Wilaya of Casablanca and the court, open their doors for three days. For the record, offcuts from the Eiffel Tower have been recycled into sculpture! Created by César, the metal work takes pride of place in the lobby of Bank Al-Maghrib. Then the Habous district, known as the «new indigenous city». Its Mahkama (tribunal) was built between 1941 and 1952. The building was inspired by 700-year-old construction techniques. The current headquarters of the Casablanca-Settat region is also reminiscent of Andalusian castles.
The Casa-Est tour takes visitors to the Roches noires, Hay Mohammedi, and Aïn Chock districts.
This route tells the story of the White City’s industrial history, its first workers’ housing estates, the forerunner of social housing, and a tormented contemporary Morocco and its Years of Lead.
The Casa-Ouest circuit departs from the Maarif district to reveal Casablanca’s laidback side. For the latter two tours, interested parties should register in advance at https://forms.gle/KqofAfRY9yz1p2PE7. Casa Bus provides free transport to discover Casa-Est and Casa-Ouest. Two departures are scheduled at 9.30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Tour departure points
1- Old medina, departure from the Sqala café-restaurant
2- Downtown, departure from in front of the fountain on Place Mohammed V
3- Quartier des Habous, departure in front of the headquarters of the Casablanca-Settat Region at Bd Victor Hugo.
4- Casa Ouest, bus tour departing from Place Mehdi Ben Barka, Maarif.
(Maarif, Riviera, C.I.L, Hay Hassani, El Hank)
5- Casa Est, bus route departs from Place des Nations Unies next to the Alsa Bus station (Roches Noires, Hay Mohammadi, Aïn Chock).
Faiçal FAQUIHI
