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| Sunset over the Atlantic |
Travellers to Casablanca should not expect the city to have the same authentic colour and flair of Marrakech or Fez. In fact, it feels much more like a Mediterranean port town, since, in the early 20th century, the French occupiers modelled the city after Marseille.
Tea in Casablanca
Business, not pleasure, brought me to Casablanca. Sometimes, business trips afford a more realistic experience of the life of a city than any package tour ever could. I had a meeting in the industrial zone with a young businesswoman who spoke perfect French. I met many businesswomen during my trip, not to mention all the female workers I saw relaxing in Casablanca's narrow lanes on their breaks. Indeed, I saw little to remind me that I was in an Arab country.
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| Casablanca's twin towers |
French production
No matter how hard you try not to mix business with pleasure, a little sightseeing always creeps into your schedule. On our first day, we visited the Hassan II Mosque with its monumental 200m high minaret. This new structure seems destined to fulfil its destiny as a Casablanca landmark. On our third day in the city, a client suddenly cancelled a meeting and we decided to take advantage of this unexpected opportunity. We began our tour by walking from the Boulevard d'Anfa to the Avenue des F.A.R. The Ancienne Médina (Old Town) stood on our left, surrounded by a yellow wall. Its narrow, disheartening streets were filled with the grim realities of poverty. From here, we headed to the Boulevard Mohammed V, the heart of the old French colonial town. The region's beautiful art deco buildings are in a sorry state of disrepair. I frantically tried to capture every single majestic building on film, but decided to relax and let myself take in the atmosphere of the neighbourhood. Sometimes its important to stop and 'smell the roses' when on vacation. We ended our tour on the Atlantic coast with the Hasan II Mosque behind us.
International hieroglyphics
To get a feel for a city, you have to explore its streets, restaurants and shopping areas. Everywhere I went in Casablanca, I felt safe and comfortable. The boulevard and avenues are lined with French-style cafes filled with groups of men and women relaxing and enjoying themselves. Finally, we visited the 'twin towers' of Casablanca on the Boulevard Moulay Youssef. The lower floors house a shopping mall while the top floors are offices. Its shopping mall would not look out of place in Sao Paolo, Brussels, Warsaw or Milan, filled as it was with iconic global brand names?today's international hieroglyphs. We bought a cheap bottle of Moroccan wine and headed back to the hotel. Casablanca is a great place for a brief getaway.
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| A close-up of the Hassan II Mosque. |
Casablanca Guide
Climate:
Casablanca is on a similar latitude to Antalya and has a comparable climate. Since Casablanca is on the ocean, be prepared for rain in any season.
Currency:
The Moroccan currency is the Dirhem. There is no real black market exchange rate.
How to get there:
There are no direct flights from Turkey. You can fly via France, Germany or Italy. THY flies via Tunis every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 10.30. THY: 444 0849 Alitalia flies daily via Milan. Tel: 0212-315 19 19. Lufthansa flies daily at 18.40 via Frankfurt.
Visas:
Turkish citizens do not need visas.
Telephone:
International code: 0212, Casablanca: 22
Language:
In their day-to-day conversation, Moroccans speak a mixture of Arabic and French. An Arab from the Middle East would have great difficulty understanding Moroccans. Almost everyone learns standard Arabic and French in school. Few speak English.
Where to stay:
Morocco has a created an admirable tourist industry infrastructure. Hotels abound in every price category. Here are some options, from the most expensive to the cheapest: Sheraton Casablanca Hotel & Towers: Tel: +212 22-439 494. Hyatt Regency Casablanca: Luxury downtown hotel. Tel: +212 22 431 234. http://casablanca.regency.hyatt.com Hotel Ibis Moussafir: Tel: +212 22-240 1984. Hotel Metropole: Tel: +212 22-230 1213. Hotel Excelsior: Tel: +212 22-220 0263. Hotel Terminus: Tel: +212 22-224 0025. Hotel Colbert: Tel: +212 22-231 4241.
Where to eat
Travellers from Istanbul will find Casablanca a comparatively cheaper place to eat. There are many excellent seafood restaurants on the Atlantic coast, as well as lovely cafes on the main boulevards and avenues where you enjoy traditional French cafe fare. Al Mounia: Enjoy classic Moroccan fare. Address: 95 Rue du Prince Moulay Abdallah. Restaurant Le Tonkin: Chinese and Vietnamese food. Address: 34 Rue Prince Moulay Abdallah. Restaurant Listado: An unusual seafood restaurant. Reasonable prices. Address: 133 Bd Felix Houphouet Boigny. Restaurant La Mama: A reasonably priced Italian restaurant. Address: At the corner of Bd de la Corniche and Bd de Biarritz.
| Helpful hints... |
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* "You must remember this / A kiss is just a kiss." The timeless lyrics to 'As Time Goes By' are synonymous with that immortal film, 'Casablanca'. The premier of the film in November 1942 coincided with the landing of 25,000 Allied Expeditionary Forces troops on the coast north and south of Casablanca. But the film owes its lasting fame to the chemistry between Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. In fact, 'Casablanca' was filmed entirely at Hollywood Warner Bros studios. Nevertheless, the Hyatt Regency has a 'Rick's Bar' where waiters in trench coats will serve you the most expensive drinks in the city. |
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