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Casablanca
The largest city of Morocco, Casablanca is a seaport located to the west of the country hugging the Atlantic Ocean.
Immortalized in many films and books for its grandeur and oriental mystique, the city is most famous to be the venue of final romantic interlude for lovers played by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in the Hollywood, black and white classic film with the same name as the city it takes place in.
This port city is the largest of its kind in the region, with even more traffic than that of its French ancestor, the seaport of Marseilles. As such, the Port of Casablanca is considered as Morocco's chief port and as one of the largest artificial ports in the world. The city is also known as the primary naval base for the Royal Moroccan Navy.
It is no surprise then that Casablanca’s proud history is tied to the water. The city was founded by Berber fishermen in the 10th Century BC, which was subsequently used as a strategic port by the Phoenicians, Romans and the Merenids. The city’s current name of Casablanca came from the Spanish traders who established trading bases there.
The French occupied the city and established a protectorate in the early 1990’s. However the city gained independence with the rest of the country in 1956, today boasting to be the country’s largest city. The grand architecture still illustrates the French influence with its Art Noveau and Art Deco buildings, as well as its myriad mosaic Moorish palaces.
An urban city, Casablanca today hosts the headquarters and main facilities for the leading Moroccan and international companies based in Morocco. It is also known to be one of the most liberal cities in Morocco where young Moroccans will converse often in French.
The French cafes and bistros which line the streets under the palm and against the landscape of the tall minarets of the mosques are part of Casablanca’s culinary heritage. There is an actual Rick’s Café (named after Humphrey Bogart’s character in the film), which has been a noted place in the city to eat and be seen since its 2004 opening. Delicious roast duck in mango sauce are served alongside a cool cocktail by bartenders in white jackets and red fezes.
