Casablanca. Holiday in Morocco, travel and tourism

Casablanca is the economic capital of Morocco. It is a symbol of modern Morocco and it prefigure that of tomorrow.

This preponderant role is the output of the will of a human being, the General Lyautey, the first general resident of the French republic, from 1912 to 1925. Opposite to all, Lyautey decided to make Casablanca the economic centre of the kingdom. He developed the harbour’s activity and enterprise the urban fitting out for the new districts. From that moment, the city benefited of a spectacular development, which doesn’t stop.

It is also the most populated city: 3,5 million inhabitants. But it isn’t an imperial city: it wasn’t the politic capital of the kingdom aver. And before the establishment of the mosque Hassan II between 1988 and 1993, it presented no interest for the tourists.

Casablanca is nowadays a little more that a halt between two imperial cities. The mosque Hassan II or the most high religious edifice from the universe attract the tourists: 200 m height, two times bigger than the cathedral tour from Chartres and an interior which gather together all the aspects of the Moroccan art. The site is built 2/3 on the Atlantic.

The mosque is one of the few mosques in Morocco to be visited by the non-musulmans. We could admire the magnificent marble ground the water that sprinkle in the middle of the mosque, and obviously the zelliges and the sculpted cedar. It is astonishing that the king Hassan II took the option of an opening roof. Indeed a most of the roof’s part can be opened and closed in less than three minutes.

We can also visit the underground fountain and the hamman (arabian termes which come from the roman tradition). The columns are civerd with venetian Stucco and the lustre is elaborated with blacksmith of Fès.

You have to know that the architecture was designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau, and the master enterprise is Bouygues. There were 10 000 craftsmenwho worked day and night during years for the inside and outside work.

After have visited the mosque, a little tour of Casa to see the famous united Nations Square with the ancient residence of Lyautey. There is a statue dedicated to this first marshal resident in Morocco between 1912 and 1925

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