Where is the romance?
When we arrive at Casablanca, Morocco's chief port, an artificial one, we expect to see Rick's Cafe as in the movie of the same name as the city. In reality, the movie was not shot in Morocco but almost entirely in a Hollywood studio. The cast was international but not a single Moroccan was on the list. No enchanting cafe near us. A blanca (blank) as far as it is related to the movie.
In the distance we spy a tall minaret glimmeringly sitting partly on water. But something else catches our eye.
A diversion
As we walk out of the port a most beautifully intricate facade, a combination of Islamic art and Art deco beckons more than a once-over. It's the railway station! Walking in we find that a train is due to leave for Rabat, the capital of Morocco. Why not? The ride will take an hour but perhaps we'll be treated to rural scenes.
The visit to Rabat warrants a separate blog
A rich history
Upon our return after several hours we take a stroll towards the medina. As always a minaret beckons. It is actually a square clock tower, conjoined to the rampart, standing ideally between the medina and the French quarters. Walking along the protective walls of the medina, and a gate to its entrance, which we skip, leads us to the French quarters. The clock is special for it emblematically stands for the rich cultural heritage of the city: French colonialism and the then European institutions and culture. Being the residential quarter for expatriates the buildings are said to have been financed from French ministers, Jewish industrialists, and even Moroccan pashas. Appropriately the architecture is a blend of French, North Africa, and American.
Living it up: vibrancy
Our 3 km ramble, past the Mohamad V square, leads us further into United Nations Square, radiating from which are several boulevards. A bustling place studded with exclusive shops, hotels and restaurants. It is well connected by the tram system.The architecturally majestic buildings befit the largest city in Morocco, the eighth largest in the Arab world, and also the nation's economic and business centre. A white spire in the distance is not to be confused with a minaret.
To press it further, noticeably almost every building is white. No denying that it lives up to its name, White (blanca) House(casa), after all! As the name indicates, French is widely spoken in Morocco. Road signs appear in French as well.Manicured squares tree lined boulevards startlingly contrast with the white.
The ‘floating’ edifice
The glimpse we had from the port of a glittering building with a minaret in the far distance is now just beside us but we are cut off by the wall bearing numerous hoardings. All said and done , the Hassan Ii Mosque is not something we are going to visit. For one it is late in the day and we may not be able to take it all in before we set sail.
Situated right on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the second largest mosque in Africa, the seventh largest in the world. Its minaret is the second largest in the world.
The stupendousness of it all hits home when in the realisation that the vast complex encompasses a madrasa (religious school), museum, conference facility, library, and hammams! Virtually a city in itself.
Unfortunately, the interior of the mosque can only be visited on a guided tour. Fortunately for us we have no regrets not visiting it.
But it is not all white and sleek
A little detour into a side street lined with cars and elegant homes leads into the old medina that shockingly reveals dilapidated homes. It is all quite eerie as we do not see anyone out and about. Right next to the royal palace of Casablanca which is closed to the public. But there are cats, and then cats! Had we come earlier in the day we would probably have seen a little more life especially with what looked like little shops. It was a Friday after all – a sacred day for Muslims.
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