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Principal city in Morocco and capital in all but administration" Casablanca is now the largest port of the Maghreb busier even than Marseille, the city on which it was modeled by the French. A visit of Casablanca city should include, the central market, the Habous district, the Royal Palace, the Mohamed V square, the residential area of Anfa and the full tour of the famous Hassan II Mosque
A minute of History:
Casablanca is on the site of Anfa, a prosperous town that the Portuguese destroyed in 1468; they resettled it briefly in 1515 under its present name. Almost destroyed by an earthquake in 1755, Casablanca was rebuilt (1757) by Muhammad XVI. It was occupied by the French in 1907. During World War II, Casablanca was the scene of one of the three major Allied landings in North Africa (Nov., 1942) and of a conference between Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill (Nov., 1943).
Location:
A city of northwest Morocco on the Atlantic Ocean south-southwest of Tangier. Founded by the Portuguese in the 16th century, it became a center of French influence in Africa after 1907. It is now Morocco's largest city. Population: 3,740,000.
General Information:
Casablanca is a city in west Morocco, over the Atlantic Ocean, and is most industrialized centre in country. Casablanca is a modern city- and beautiful in its own respect. The centre of Casablanca is fairly impressive. It's brand modern, with big, lively boulevards, high, white, well-kept buildings. And it\'s clean and efficient. If anything in Casablanca should fit the Casablanca of Bergman and Bogart, it should be the old city. It's small, consisting mainly of smaller houses, which all seem to be from this century, and the alleyways dominating in other old cities, are rarely found here. There is a good markets here, but look around before you buy, shop keepers here know their skills. Some thousand people live here, and in one or two spots, true beauty occurs.
The city was the setting of Casablanca, a 1943 film starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.
Weather:
Weather can't be forecast more than a week or so in advance, but in Casablanca is always sunny. The climate of city is hot and arid, high temperatures is here common.
Places to visit:
Hassan II Mosque (Boulevard Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah, Casablanca )
This immense mosque was commissioned as a gift to King Hassan II for his 60th birthday in 1989. Inaugurated in 1993, it contains a museum, steam baths, a library, a Koranic school and conference facilities. The largest mosque outside Saudi Arabia it houses up to 25,000 worshippers. With a 175-metre (575-foot) minaret, it is the tallest religious structure in the world. An eastern-facing laser, on top of the minaret, indicates the direction of Mecca. Special guided tours are available for non-Muslims throughout the day.
Old Medina (Central Casablanca)
This is the original Arab town, partly enclosed by the old wall. It is a maze of narrow streets and whitewashed brick or stone houses, full of shops with everything imaginable for sale.
Comments:
Those looking for a latter-day Humphrey Bogart round every corner will be disappointed. This is no sleepy dive. Morocco's largest city and industrial centre is a huge brash metropolis where traditional Moroccan burnouses (cloaks) seem out of place among the natty suits and designer sunglasses.
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| (1) is the most popular resort. | | Casablanca |  (1) |
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