In North Africa, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, there is a small state, the Kingdom of Morocco. Not far from the country's capital Rabat is Casablanca - this is the largest port and the most populous city. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants.
Translated from Spanish, its name sounds like "White City". Literally: "casa" - at home, "blank" - white.
The place where Casablanca is located has been very popular with people since ancient times. The climate there is Mediterranean, the water temperature is warm even in winter, so many tourists rush to relax on the coast among palm trees and plunge into the atmosphere of the ancient city.
Historical background
Even in the Middle Ages, the city was called Anfa. It was destroyed and rebuilt several times. First, the Portuguese defeated him. After a long recovery, a strong earthquake again destroyed all the houses. Only in 1755 the city was rebuilt again. The ancient Moorish part of the city is still in the center of Casablanca. These are beautiful little old buildings. The rest of the quarters were already built duringFrench rule.
During the Second World War, it was in this large port of North Africa that the Allied troops landed. In 1943, a meeting of two world leaders took place on the territory of the city: Great Britain - Winston Churchill and USA - Franklin Roosevelt.
From the mid-60s, France returned the independence of Morocco and the country quickly began to decline. Then, having recovered a little from the economic crisis, the state began to actively develop the tourism sector of the economy. This helped restore prosperity to the country.
Description of Casablanca (Morocco)
The coastal city in question is not only a major port with one of the largest man-made harbors in the world. International trade routes pass through Casablanca. It is connected by a network of highways and railways to the rest of the world. The city has an international airport. Almost all trade relations of Morocco take place in Casablanca. This includes the export of grain crops, leather, wool, and phosphates.
This city is deservedly considered the main industrial center of this state. In addition to the developed fishing industry and fish canning, the city's industry is focused on woodworking and furniture manufacturing.
Many building materials are produced, glass and tobacco industries are developed. All banking operations of the country are carried out on the territory of Casablanca. This is the site of the annual trade fairs.
Medina District
Modern Casablanca is more like a metropolis somewhere in America. These are skyscrapers, huge office buildings that filled the entire territory of the city. It can hardly be called green, as a large area is filled with buildings. Islands are located parks and squares. The brightest part of Casablanca in Morocco, according to our tourists, is a snow-white strip of beaches that stretches along the entire city.
But the Moroccans cherish traditions and take care of their history, preserving monuments. The city has many ancient mosques, beautiful palaces, narrow ancient streets and colorful market squares. All this variety is collected in the central part of the city in the old quarter called Medina.
Entrance to the quarter through beautiful old carved gates. Only here you can hear the screams of street vendors, inviting passing tourists to buy their goods.
Main mosque of the city
The main attraction of the quarter is rightfully considered the Hassan II Mosque. The height of the minaret reaches 210 meters. The interior strikes all visitors with its beauty.
The construction is modern, the construction of the religious site was completed only in 1989. The building is so huge that it can easily accommodate 25,000 believers in its prayer hall. Another 80,000 can accommodate for prayer in the square in front of the mosque.
Interior decoration
The inside is lined with white andpink granite, and huge 50-ton glass chandeliers were brought specially from Italy. The vault is held by 78 columns. Only golden marble and green onyx were used for the nine-hectare floor.
The latest technologies were used in construction. So the minaret is earthquake-resistant, and the floor in the prayer hall has a heating system. The roof has a special system that moves apart if necessary. A laser spotlight is installed on top of the minaret. With its help, a 30-kilometer green beam is launched towards the Sacred Mosque in Mecca.
Another interesting feature of the famous mosque is the fact that half of its area is located above the ocean. When the tide is in the Atlantic, the believers get the impression that the mosque is floating on the waves. This effect was invented by French architect Michel Pinso, who, after reading the words of the Koran "The throne of Allah is on the water", decided to bring them to life. A particularly vivid impression is created when the ocean is stormy and the waves are high.
Five years have been spent by craftsmen decorating halls and columns with mosaics and laying marble floors. Tourists are allowed to watch such beauty. After all, not every mosque has access to people of a different faith.
Mohammed Square 5
This is the central square of the city, where many official offices are located: the main bank and post office, the French Consulate and the Palace of Justice.
On the territory of the square there are beautiful flower beds and gardens with a fountain. ThereIn the evenings, locals like to gather for walks. All the facades of the buildings overlooking the square are made in the neo-Moorish style. The creation of this square was planned by the French General Mac-Liote.
Old streets
A tourist will never be able to feel what Casablanca is until he walks along the old streets of the city. Only here old small houses can tell about the locals, tell the story of this beautiful city.
The smell of butcher shops and freshly baked bread from local bakeries spreads over the whole block, luring visitors to it. You can try local cuisine in numerous cafes right on the street. All ancient Moroccan houses have white walls, which is why the city was called white.
Resort area
The entire coastline of the Atlantic Ocean is built up with luxurious hotels, boarding houses and hotels for every taste and budget. Now tourists from all over Europe like to spend time here, swimming in the warm waters of the ocean and sunbathing under the rays of the caressing sun of Casablanca. Detailed information about the city is described in the article, so, as you can see, in addition to relaxing on the coast, the city has many remarkable places where you can take a walk and get acquainted with the cultural heritage of Morocco.
Unforgettable impressions await you from exotic places, from various colorful and colorful products offered by merchants in the city's markets. Yes, and Moroccan cuisine will bring variety to your life. After all, sometimes you want something completely unconventional, new experiences and acquaintances.
Visit this wonderful country and its largest city - Casablanca!
