
Casablanca © Flickr: dlisbona
Just looking at the city, there's no guessing where the port of
Casablanca, meaning
white house in Spanish, got its name.
Made famous by the classic 1942 movie 'Casablanca', this
cosmopolitan, white-walled city is Morocco's largest and least
endearing, although under the hustle and bustle and slight
seediness, lies a unique and charismatic history waiting to be
discovered.
Founded by Berber fisherman in the 10th century BC, Casablanca was
used by the Phoenicians, Romans and Merenids as a port. The
Portuguese then took over but after destroying the city and
rebuilding it, they abandoned it in 1755 after an earthquake. The
city went on to be rebuilt as
Daru l-Badya (the Arabic name)
by a Moroccan sultan and given the name Casablanca by the Spanish
traders who used the port.
Casablanca is unlike any other Moroccan city. Women ditch the
conservative clothing and dress themselves in the latest designer
gear while men flirt shamelessly with them. But these trendoids of
the upper crust do not represent Casablanca accurately - poverty
has led to crime, drugs and prostitution and evidence of this can
be seen in the slums on the outskirts of the city.
A trip to Casablanca is a must for anyone wanting to experience
another side of Morocco and, untraditional and plain as this city
may be, it is not to be missed.