Casablanca is often passed over by travellers seeking to visit Morocco, for this modern city’s charms are less obvious. But a closer inspection reveals more, such as this charming restaurant I stumbled upon when I explored a hole in the wall beneath a cannon embedded in a fortress.
…likewise, the Old Medina (Old City) of Casablanca lacks the characteristics you’d expect from such a quintessentially Moroccan attraction. Though the lanes are charmingly crooked and the walls lovingly weathered, the Medina feels much newer than its medieval counterparts in other cities. At first glance, the wares for sale seem perfunctory and dare I say, prosaic; but that’s not to say that the Medina doesn’t deserve a closer look. I certainly would not have thought to thoroughly explore, had a friendly local not come up to me and ask where I was from. When I told him “Malaysia”, his face lit up – according to him, Malaysians enjoy a good reputation amongst Moroccans for being compassionate, polite, and not-pushy at Haj, the pilgrimage to the Holy City of Mecca. So it was his absolute pleasure, he insisted, to guide me through the Old Medina Honestly, without his help I would’ve been absolutely lost – the Medina was a maze of 4,000 stalls! I didn’t care much for the designer knockoffs, but the local crafts; oh my! Woven baskets, hand embroidered dresses, bejewelled kaftans! I bought a lovely round basket with rope handles, covered in fluffy tassels for 200 dirham (€18) that I would’ve paid £70 for in a shop in London. I’m certainly glad I gave the Medina a chance. I later learnt that it was a popular route for those walking between downtown Casablanca and Hassan II Mosque. The Old Medina of Casablanca might not be the most scenic in Morocco, but it had its charms, even if it wasn’t the postcard from the past I had hoped it to be.
LA CORNICHE
La Corniche is even less traditional than the Medina. The long stretch of beachside boulevard personifies what makes Casablanca so different from other Moroccan cities. Think Malibu Beach, Moroccan edition: rows of palms fringe the strip, where lanky teenagers repping in Gucci and Supreme hang out by the Golden Arches, nicknamed by the locals as Mohammed-Donald’s. Glamourous women jog along the boulevard in full makeup and jewellery, no doubt from their swanky villa homes in nearby Anfa, the Beverly Hills of Casablanca. The gleaming and upscale hotel, Four Seasons, was occupied by the national football team, who that night would play in Casablanca and score 3-0, so their VIP escort to the airport the next day was well deserved. Then there are posters of King Mohammed VI and his family emblazoned with championed values including tolerance.
As well as being the economic heart of the country, Casablanca is the most liberal and progressive of Morocco’s cities. Casa’s cosmopolitan nature is laid bare for all to see on La Corniche, making the kilometres-long walk along the beach one that is not only pleasant but refreshing, in both literal and figurative sense.
