قيسارية الأمراء

“Dar al Beida” a name that evokes images of whitewashed houses. This is Casablanca’s original name. It reflects the city’s history. The name means White House in Arabic. Before its modern identity Casablanca was a small fishing village called Anfa. Anfa existed in the 12th century. It was a Berber settlement. It became a pirate base. The Portuguese destroyed it in 1468. They returned in 1515. They built a new town called Casa Branca. This is another name for White House. It was abandoned in 1755. A devastating earthquake struck. Sultan Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah rebuilt the town. This happened in the late 18th century. European traders including the French settled there. The French eventually outnumbered other European settlers. The name Maison Blanche which also means White House became common. The French occupied Casablanca in 1907. During the French protectorate from 1912 to 1956 Casablanca became Morocco’s chief port. Its growth and development were rapid. Casablanca hosted a summit conference during World War II in 1943. This was the Casablanca Conference. In 1961 a conference in Casablanca founded the Casablanca group of African states. King Mohammed V presided over it. Casablanca’s man-made port handles most of Morocco’s foreign trade. It’s also a port of call for European ships. Boulevard Hansali leads to the port. It’s lined with shops for tourists. The old city or medina is inland from the docks and harbor. It’s the original Arab town. Parts are still enclosed by original rampart walls. It’s a maze of narrow streets and whitewashed houses. The French built the town outside the medina’s walls. Avenues radiate from Mohammed V Square. Ring roads intersect them. They reach the coast on either side of the harbor. Mohammed V Square is near the old medina’s gateway. It’s the business and administrative center. Banks hotels and large modern shops are there. South of the square is the Cathedral of the Sacré Coeur. It overlooks the Arab League Park’s gardens. West of the park are residential districts. Anfa is one of them. Many poor people live in shantytowns on the city’s outskirts. The Moroccan government works to improve these areas. Buses are the main public transport. Petit and grande taxis serve travelers within and outside the city. Roads connect Casablanca to other cities. A railway line runs northeast to Tangier. It also runs eastward to Algeria and Tunisia during periods of political stability. Casablanca-Anfa and Casablanca-Nouaceur airports provide international service. Casablanca’s rapid commercial progress made it Morocco’s economic capital. It accounts for more than half the country’s bank transactions and industrial production. Casablanca’s industries include textiles electronics leather works food canning and the production of beverages. Fishing is important. A wide continental shelf provides a good fishing ground. Casablanca has Arabic and French language schools. There are cultural institutes like the Goethe-Institut. The Hassan II mosque is one of the world’s largest and most ornate mosques. It’s partly on reclaimed land along the coast. Casablanca has beaches parks and promenades. It’s Morocco’s main recreation center.