Casablanca

Named after the movie, (just kidding – this isn’t Strange Wilderness - sorry if you don’t get this reference – you must now go watch this movie ASAP), Casablanca, in Central-West Morocco is the largest city, a major port and business hub, and the most westernized of all of Morocco. It was once used as a safe harbor for pirates in the 14thcentury, before falling to Portuguese control later on. Casablanca is most notably known for the largest mosque in Morocco – Hassan II Mosque, as well as Rick’s Café, made famous in the movie, Casablanca.  

If you were a fan of the movie Casablanca, you will probably want to pay a visit to Rick’s Café. This café was built after the movie, and has paid homage to the theme that the movie portrayed, though this was not the original filming location (contrary to what many people believe). Here, you can get a delicious meal, while listening to a pianist stroking the ivory keys. 

Another attraction, and a must visit here is the Hassan II Mosque. It is the largest mosque in Morocco, and the whole of Africa, and it the 7thlargest in the world. The Mosque’s minaret (tower) is the second tallest in the world standing at a height of 210 m. The mosque was completed in 1993, and has walls, which were hand crafted out of marble, and with a retractable roof. The mosque is designed to hold 105,000 worshippers – 25 thousand within the mosque, and another 80 thousand in the grounds outside. Its unique position – partly over the land, and partly over the Atlantic Ocean, give very unique vantage points for viewing the mosque, both from near, and afar.

A day or two in Casablanca is plenty in my opinion. Aside from being a big city and a great place to stock up on essentials, you can see most of the major tourist attractions in one day. Though, if you are an artsy type (I’m not so much), you can spend a lot of time here engulfing yourself in the arts scene that is prevalent here.