Sunday, April 16, 2023
Casablanca is not what we expected. It is true that we really didn’t know what to expect, because all we have are images from movies, most of them old and stereotypical. The old Humphrey Bogart movie, Casablanca, was actually filmed in a Hollywood studio. Only within the last nine years or so were places like Rick’s Cafe built in Casablanca.
While the story behind the movie is fiction, Casablanca did become a way station for refugees after the fall of France in 1940. Because refugees had to obtain immigration visas, as well as exit and transit visas, all issued by different governments, many refugees ended up being stranded for months or years in Casablanca.
The majority of the refugees were Jewish. Jews, even those who were indigenous to Morocco, were banned from living in European neighborhoods. They had to live in the mellah, the ancient poverty ridden Jewish quarter. Because they had to follow rules that govern foreign nationals, they could end up in an internment camp behind barbed wire, with guards, and harsh living conditions.
The movie Casablanca depicts the dire challenges that the Jewish refugees faced during the Holocaust of World War II.
We felt a little anxious about the safety in Morocco, which was exacerbated by a cruise line letter delivered to our state room, warning us of the following:
Bring our own water.
Because toilet facilities are not up to Western standards, bring our own toilet paper and hand sanitizer.
Avoid hard sell tactics by vendors with a polite but firm “No thank you.”
Be careful to meet our guide at the correct time and location.
Stay open minded and enjoy our adventure.
Of course, like as in other destinations, we received verbal warnings about skillful pick pockets. Even our tour guide warned us about sticky fingers.
Our tour guide for our excursion, “Easy City Drive,” was an older Muslim who has lost 80 percent of his vision due to diabetes. However, he was an amazing fountain of facts, and provided an interesting perspective on the relationships between the Jewish and Muslim communities of Casablanca. He talked extensively about how they have lived together peacefully for many generations, respecting each other’s beliefs. Engaging in proselytizing of any religion other than Islam is not allowed. He said they are all descendants of Abraham.
In the late 1940s, there were over 250,000 in the Jewish community of Morocco. Today, there are only about 3,000; however, they are the largest Jewish community in the region. Although there have been some isolated Muslim terrorist attacks on the Jewish community, Morocco has strong ties with Israel (and the United States). Jewish people have lived in the country for more than 3,000 years.
The official languages of Morocco are Arabic and Berber, but our guide, and many of the residents (as evidenced by hearing it as we walked around) speak French. Starting in 1907, France was engaged in the conquest of Morocco. The Treaty of Fez of of 1912 established a protectorate over Morocco. This was followed by twenty years of taking control of Morocco. Finally, France granted Morocco its independence on November 5, 1955.
Our guide pointed out a painting of the King, Mohammed VI, and directed our attention to the guarded palace nearby. He spoke very highly of the king, saying he is a very nice man and everyone loves him. Their king is the wealthiest monarch in Africa and 5th wealthiest in the world, with a net worth of over two billion (perhaps as high as 8 billion). The Guide said that the King has 17 palaces, which he inherited, and he is turning some of them into museums.
It was interesting that the guide spoke a little disparagingly of the Arab nations who have built their countries and the wealth of their people on oil. He said that in Morocco, everyone works hard to make a living, and that most of Morocco’s GNP comes from agriculture (citrus fruits and vegetables), textiles, phosphate, and tourism.
Our tour began from the very industrial port, driving along the lovely beaches with surf crashing over the rocks and ruins, to reach the Hassan II Mosque, built at the edge of the sea in 1993. Contemporary technology is combined with traditional Moroccan architecture. The vast mosque can accommodate 25,000 worshippers inside, and another 85,000 outside on the esplanade. It boasts the world’s tallest minaret, 650 feet in height. It truly is a spectacular sight. Our bus stopped for only about 10 minutes for photos. We could not enter the esplanade, although we could look at it from the sidewalk. There was a long line of people waiting to purchase tickets.
We drove along the Atlantic coastline a little further, where we could see some ruins, and a very old high poverty enclave. In March of 2022, intense storms with heavy rains, strong winds and intense waves caused extensive damage to Marbella’s beaches in Casablanca. The seas reached the doors of beach bars, exposing sewage pipes, building foundations, and palm tree roots. There was significant damage to buildings at the beach, including showers, foot baths and electrical conduits. This type of weather and flooding could explain some of the rubble and ruins that we saw along some of the stretches of the beach.
At the turn inland, we saw gorgeous homes and gardens, not very different from what we would see along the beaches Florida.
As we rode into town, we saw a mixture of very ancient with very modern and sleek buildings. Casablanca seems to be rapidly emerging into a cosmopolitan and more westernized modern city. The Port of Casablanca is one of the largest artificial ports in the world, and the second largest port in North Africa. Located in Casablanca is the primary naval base for the Royal Moroccan Navy. Casablanca is the economic capital of Morocco, and a favorite destination because it is dynamic, has art deco architecture, and a mild climate.
Our first stop was a quick walk through the Habous Quarter, built in the old French style. It was full of narrow streets that led to shaded squares. A couple of marketplaces were open, but our guide said not to stop and buy, because as foreigners, we would not understand how to haggle properly. He said he was taking us later to a big shop with prices set by the government. He pointed out the beautiful doors on the homes that we were staring at (with huge nail heads running decoratively around them) and said that behind them and the high walls were lovely courtyards and gardens.
He said, "These homes may look old, but they are really new. They were built in the 1920's."
The weather during our visit was perfect — sunny, balmy and very comfortable. Everywhere trees and flowers were blooming. At a lovely park with a large fountain and gardens (Mohammed V Square), our bus stopped for a photo opportunity. Both white and purple wisteria was blooming. There was a huge new opera house across the street from the park.
From the park, we walked to one of the only shops open on a Sunday during Ramadan. (During the entire month of Ramadan, Muslims fast between dawn and dusk, and don’t even drink water.). So many tourist buses had stopped at the shop, that we couldn’t move inside the large store. It was full of many treasures, but we couldn’t take advantage because of the crowds.
We could see that Casablanca is a city in transition. Piles of rubble indicated that old buildings were being taken down to make way for the new. Yet old neighborhoods and buildings were also being well preserved. Casablanca is a huge city with 3,893,000 in the metro area.
We truly enjoyed the city drive and what we saw of Casablanca. What we liked best about the city is that it is very clean. As in Spain, there were people hired to keep the streets clean. We didn’t see any littered streets, and there were very few signs of graffiti. The people of Casablanca seem to take great pride in their city and country.
For the benefit of the Canadian and United States citizens that made up the majority of the folks on our bus, the guide spoke effusively about how much Moroccans love our countries, and he repeatedly expressed blessings on our nations for prosperity and longevity.
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