Casablanca

Casablanca is Morocco’s largest city and the principal economic capital. It has grown quickly in the last century from a small town to a huge city of about 5 million inhabitants. Today, Casa, as the locals like to call it, is a thriving commercial and industrial metropolis powerhouse and the largest port of the Maghreb; the city is busier than some European port cities with a modern swagger that is unfelt in other parts of the country and any European citizen or traveler will feel immediately at home in Casablanca; In spite of it being contemporary, the city holds some of the best sought after tourist sites and attractions; it is fascinating and rich in culture and its Moorish architecture reminds you of the past and its art deco makes you aware of the present.

Tour highlights:

Casablanca half-day city tours can be scheduled in the morning or in the afternoon with fewer sites to visit or for a full day with a complete tour. The tour will consist of the following sites according to your booked tour:

Half-day tours: The Mohammed V Square, the Cebtral Market, the Habous district, the Royal Palace, the majestic Hassan II mosque and you will end you tour at the Ain Diab Corniche, where you’ll have free time to walk down the promenade before returning to your starting point.

Description

The Mohamed V square: Located south of the United Nations Square to which it is connected by Avenue Hassan II and embellished by a large central fountain and dotted with palm trees. This square is surrounded by lovely examples of French colonial architecture such as the courthouse and the prefecture with a tower rising 50m. A statue between the two buildings pays tribute to General Lyautey who built the port of Casablanca.

The central market: Truly a feast for the senses, located in the center of town close to the Boulevard Muhammad V and is open daily. Here you can find wonderful displays of all kinds foods, spices, flowers, meats and fish.

The Habous district: Clean, organized and holds a decent selection of bazaars, craft shops, pastry shops and cafés.

The Royal Palace: The Royal Palace in Casablanca is built in the Arab-Muslim structural design style and is similar to other palaces in the Kingdom with impressive architecture and gorgeous landscape surroundings; while it has limited public access, visitors can still stroll around the grounds and admire the external architecture.

The Mehkama(courthouse)and the Cathedral Notre Dame de Lourdes which is lit by a vast stained glass window covering more than 800 sq m.

The Grand Hassan II Mosque: it took 6,000 traditional Moroccan artisans and five years to build this magnificent mosque; with its intricate mosaics, stone and marble floors and columns, sculpted plaster moldings, carved and painted wood ceilings. It’s one of the largest mosques in the world, with room for more than 100,000 worshipers and its minaret is the world’s tallest at 210 meters. Non-Muslims are not allowed inside, but there’s plenty to marvel at on the outside, and official tours do allow you access to certain parts.

Ain Diab Corniche is your last site on this tour; here, you’ll have free time to walk down the famous Casablanca promenade nicely lined with numerous busnesses and pools before ending your tour.

Full day tour will consist of the above in addition to the following:

The Medina, the Cathedral Sacré-Coeur and the residential area of Anfa.

The Medina: A charming area, much smaller and easier to navigate than those in other cities; a great place to just get lost in as you explore the small shops. It offers a nice contrast to the wide streets and modern/dilapidated architecture that marks the rest of Casablanca; here you can pick up some good souvenir bargains and authentic wares and crafts.

The Casablanca Cathedral Sacré-Coeur: No longer in use for religious purposes and even in its current dilapidated state, the structure is still beautiful, a marvelous example of Moorish architecture and is open for visits.

The residential area of Anfa: Houses the most fabulous villas of the city. In one of these on the hill in 1943 the conference of Casablanca took place when Churchill and Roosevelt decided the landing of the Army in Normandie and Sicily.