Picture the bustling streets of Casablanca. Now imagine a quieter corner a vibrant tapestry woven from threads of history and migration. This is Arrondissement Maarif.
Arrondissement Maarif is one of Casablanca’s sixteen arrondissements. It holds a unique place in the city’s heart. Its story is one of transformation from a pre-protectorate era of insecurity to a thriving multicultural hub.
In the early 20th century Maarif was a dangerous area. Landowners were vulnerable to thieves. They cultivated vegetables on their land living in simple wooden shacks and tents. It lay about 25 kilometers from the city center a distant suburb. In 1911 English traders notably Murdoch acquired vast tracts of land. They bought it for a fraction of its true value from the Maârifs a Berber tribe. This transaction reshaped the area’s future.
The land was subsequently resold in plots beginning around 1915-1916. A real estate company spearheaded the sales creating a land rush. The high demand for housing escalated prices. A plot in Maarif sometimes cost 10000 old francs. Daily wages were only 10 to 15 francs. Prefabricated houses cost 100 to 120 francs per square meter. Transactions were conducted in Peseta Hassani with 1 French franc equivalent to 1.25 Peseta Hassani.
Maarif’s low cost attracted Spanish and Italian immigrants. Greeks Portuguese Armenians and others also settled there albeit in smaller numbers. This influx of workers and employees drove the area’s growth. The district was far from the center resembling the working-class suburbs of Spanish coastal cities. The initial urban plan lacked sufficient provisions for modest housing. The streets were laid out in a rigid grid pattern without water or lighting. Sanitation became a pressing issue by 1916. Maarif was a swampy and unhealthy place. Creating sewers with such shallow water tables proved incredibly expensive. Maarif therefore required its own urban development and sanitation plan. Paradoxically its construction boomed during the 1929 global financial crisis. Between 1927 and 1933 Maarif took on its present form.
Early immigrants hailed from Oran Algeria. Families like the Cerdans settled in the area. Others came from Alicante Spain drawn by the promise of a new city and opportunities. Many of these initial migrants had acquired French nationality in Algeria around 1890. A significant wave of migration also came from Italian communities in Tunisia and Constantine mostly of Sicilian origin. Studies show that over 50% of the population before Moroccan independence came from this working-class background. The arrival of the CTM and TAC transportation companies in the late 1920s marked another turning point. This period saw French people from metropolitan France including merchants and officials. They made up approximately 15% of the district’s population according to French urban planners. Statistics indicate that two-thirds of the inhabitants were Spanish Italian or French.
The arrival of refugees from the Spanish Civil War further augmented the population by 15%. By this point around 80% of the population comprised these three nationalities. The remaining 20% were Greeks Portuguese Armenians and others from Eastern countries. This melting pot created one of Morocco’s most diverse neighborhoods. Meanwhile Moroccan Muslims chose to live in a neighboring district later known as Derb Ghallef.
Maarif’s diverse communities coexisted harmoniously. This surprised contemporary analysts. Some French sociologists attributed this to the immigrants’ shared social origins. Living in a developing community fostered mutual aid and cooperation. French protectorate laws also played a role. They favored the integration of European nationals as native French people were few. Grandchildren of immigrants born in Morocco automatically received French citizenship without needing any paperwork.
After Moroccan independence various parks remained. Among these is the notable Arab League Park. It serves as a significant green space and leisure center for the greater Casablanca area. The Moroccan government invested in improving public services. They built schools and clinics. They established prestigious sports clubs like the CMC club which remains one of Morocco’s best clubs in several disciplines. Arrondissement Maarif also contains a kindergarten next to the market.
Today Arrondissement Maarif stands as a testament to Casablanca’s history a vibrant blend of cultures and a living reminder of its diverse past.