Hassan II Mosque
As the largest mosque in Africa, the Hassan II Mosque bears the name of the king at the time of construction: King Hassan II. The Hassan II Mosque's construction began in July of 1986 and was not completed until August of 1993. The mosque was constructed on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, which has caused the mosque to need constant maintenance to prevent damage and premature aging. King Hassan II wanted to build the mosque on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean to spread Islam's "world peace" and wanted to reflect the best of Morocco through the mosque's magnificence. The mosque's architecture boast Berber, European, Islamic, and Moroccan influences, reflecting the vast historical impact in Morocco. The entirety of the mosque covers over 239,000 square yards of waterfront land, with the main prayer hall able to hold 20,000 people. The Hassan II Mosque also has steam baths, a religious school, libraries, a museum, and conference buildings.Despite being a holy site, the Hassan II Mosque was also utilized as a political tool. The man the mosque was made for, King Hassan II, utilized the mosque to support his legitimacy as the monarch of Morocco. King Hassan II assumed the throne in 1961, after Morocco had become independent from their colonial rulers. He looked to create a visual of Moroccan identity by building the Hassan II Mosque, since this identity had been stripped from them during the colonial era. He wanted to evoke Morocco's rich history by utilizing Berber, Islamic, and traditional Moroccan architectural styles. Interestingly, he also utilized European architechtural styles, which seemed to be paradoxical in his attempt to evoke a Moroccan identity. Some scholars believe his choice of utilizing European styles was due to the ever present colonial interference in African countries. Others, though, believe that King Hassan II was responding to colonialism, coming to terms with Morocco's colonial history and the effects the period had on the country. Either way, the Hassan II Mosque represents Morocco's rich history and culture.
Ettedgui Synagogue
The Ettedgui Synagogue represents one of the most important synagogues in Jewish history in Casablanca. The synagogue was constructed in 1920 by the Ettedgui family, who were considered part of the bourgeois community in Casablanca. Unfortunately, the synagogue was accidentally bombed during the Allied invasion of Northern Africa during World War II. The Ettedgui Synagogue began to be rebuilt in the 1980s, but was finally reconstructed in 2010. This was due to King Mohamed VI's rehabilitation project for the Old Medina. The Jewish Heritage program set out to reconstruct and restore Jewish synagogues and cemetaries as a way to preserve the Jewish history of Morocco. Today, religious services continue to be conducted in the Ettedgui Synagogue. There was also an addition of a museum that preserves photographs, paintings, and cultural objects that trace Jewish history in Casablanca.During King Hassan II's reign, many viewed him as an authoritarian leader with several human rights violations. He aided in Operation Yachin, which was the migration of Jewish people to Israel. Because of this, there are not as many Jewish people in Casablanca today. This means that much of their heritage and culture could have been lost. Thankfully, after King Hassan II's death in 1999, his son King Mohamed VI assumed the throne. He instated several social reforms to aid in fixing many of his father's human rights violations, including a new constitution that solidified the freedom of religion and Judaism as a part of Moroccan heritage. He also instituted the Jewish Heritage program, which aided in the reconstruction of the Ettedgui Synagogue. King Mohamed VI even attended the rededication of the synagogue in 2016. This shows how Casablanca represents one of the most tolerant countries in Africa. Both of the recent kings of Morocco dedicated themselves to aiding the Jewish population, whether that be through migration or restoration. King Mohamed VI, considered the highest religious authority in Morocco, even said that the country need to "protect Moroccan Jews living in Morocco." The Ettedgui Synagogue symbolizes his committment to this protection, through restoration and acceptance of Jewish history in Casablanca.
Old Medina
The Old Medina in Casablanca allows tourists and locals to see what the city was like before colonial rule. The area dates back hundreds of years, in which the Old Medina was destroyed in 1755 by an earthquake. The Old Medina was later rebuilt in the 1770s. During French rule, the Old Medina was left fairly untouched, with the French building around the area. The Old Medina today continues to be a prominent residential area, but there are several shops and restaurants that are worth visiting. One restaurant, Rick's Cafe, was feautured in the film Casablanca. The Old Medina shows Casablanca' vast history and traditional ways of life before French rule.The Old Medina also hosts Casablanca's mellah. A mellah is the Jewish Quarter of a city in Morocco. Many Jewish people migrated to Morocco in the 15th century during the Spanish Reconquista, in which many Jewish people were pushed out of the Iberian Peninsula. The Jewish population settled in mellahs due to being surrounded by walls, providing protection. Interestingly, though, the mellah in the Old Medina is only a century old. During French colonialism, the French divided up the local populations in Casablanca depending on their race and/or religion. They utilized the mellah to place the Jewish people in one area, separate from the French and Muslims. Even after idependence, a large part of the Jewish population in Casablanca continues to live there, despite being accepted as a religion. This shows the remnants of colonialism in Casablanca. There remains no need to keep the Jewish population separate, and yet they continue to live in the mellah. This could be due to family ties to the mellah or more affordable housing in the area. Despite rejecting colonial religion, colonial separations still remain in Casablanca, as seen in the Old Medina.
Port of Casablanca and Operation Yachin
As the economic center of Morocco, Casablanca's port represents the most significant port in Morocco. The port's constuction began in 1906, in which large docks were built in 1938 and the eastern terminal in 1996. Today, the port can service thirty-five ships simultaneously and handles 21.3 million tons of cargo each year. The port is primarily used for commercial traffic, but also has a shipyard for repairs and a marina for fisherman. The massive port, which stretches across eight kilometers of land, shows Casablanca's rich history as a major port city.The Port of Casablanca also had a role to play in Operation Yachin. In 1948, 44 Jews were massacred in the Moroccan cities of Oujda and Jerada. This led to the mass emigration of Jewish people outside of Morocco. Despite being granted full rights in 1956 after Morocco's independence, Jewish people remained apprehensive and continued to emigrate. Although Jewish emigration was outlawed from 1948 to 1956, around 250,000 Jews had left Morocco. King Hassan II ended the formal ban in 1961, but continued to discourage emigration. Later in 1961, the Mossad, or the National Intelligence Agency of Israel, became involved in negotiating Jewish emigration with King Hassan II. They decided on a monetary settlement based on the amount of immigrants, and Operation Yachin commenced. King Hassan II aided their emigration through the ports and airports in Casablanca and Tangier, which included the Port of Casablanca. Morocco was able to successfully transport approximately 97,000 Jewish people to Israel. Several years later, King Mohamed VI would enact his Jewish Heritage program to encourage Moroccan Jews to return to Morocco. Casablanca's participation in Operation Yachin, then, shows their acceptance of Judaism. Although he did gain monetary benefits for Morocco, King Hassan II gave Jewish people rights after Morocco's independence in 1956, and after seeing their want of emigration, negotiated with the Mossad to ensure safe travel for Jewish immigrants. He chose Casablanca not only because of the famous Port of Casablanca, but also because Casablanca is known as one of the most tolerant cities in regards to Judaism. Therefore, the Port of Casablanca's participation in Operation Yachin shows the city's acceptance of Jewish people.
Temple Beth-El
Casablanca has Morocco's largest concentration of synagogues and is home to the largest Jewish community in the Arab world. One of the most famous synagogues is the Temple Beth-El. The temple represents the area in which a vibrant Jewish community had once lived, in which only 2,000 now live in Casablanca. A majority of the Jewish population come to the Temple Beth-El to pray and celebrate. The magnificent architecture of the temple represents the beauty of the Jewish community in Morocco, such as the stained glass windows, chandeliers, and the white and gilded plaster. The Temple Beth-El was completely refurbished in 1997 in an effort to preserve Jewish history in Casablanca.Although the Temple Beth-El is a Jewish synagogue, the temple also represents the peaceful coexistence of Muslims and Jewish people in Casablanca. Morocco's Jewish history dates all the way back to 70 CE and by the 1940s, 350,000 Jewish people were living in Morocco, making Morocco the home of the largest Jewish community until the founding of Israel in 1948. To Moroccans, Jewish and Islamic history is Moroccan history. Taylor Luck paints a picture of this unity at the Temple Beth-El, in which the congregants recite prayers while the Muslim call to prayer can be heard outside. The gatekeeper of the synagogue kneels down for Muslim prayer at the entrance of the Temple Beth-El. The synagogue represents the peaceful coexistence of Jewish and Islamic religion in Casablanca.
Cathédrale Sacré-Coeur
The Cathédrale Sacré-Coeur, also known as the Casablanca Cathedral, was built in 1930 during the colonial era. At the time, Morocco was a part of the French protectorate, in which France was primarily Catholic. The Casablanca Cathedral was designed by Paul Tournon, who also designed several cathedrals in France, such as the Église du Saint-Esprit. The cathedral is built in the Neo-Gothic style with Art Deco and Moroccan influences. After Morocco gained independence in 1956, the Casablanca Cathedral was made into a school and then eventually a cultural center. Although the building has been neglected, tourists can still climb up the towers for the magnificent view of Casablanca.In Morocco, only about 1.1% of the population identifies themselves as Christians. Because of this, there are only three functioning orthodox churches in Morocco, two of which are in Casablanca. These two are the Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox churches. There is one Catholic church that continues to be utilized as a church, which is the Notre Dame de Lourdes. Seems interesting, then, that the Casablanca Cathedral immediately ceased religious functionality after Morocco's independence from French rule. This seems to be Casablanca's rejection of their colonial religion. Despite having freedom of religion in Morocco, attempting to convert a Muslim to another religion is still a crime. Colonialism began in Africa with missionaries attempting to convert the population to some form of Christianity. Morocco was no exception and by instating the conversion law, the country continues to reject this part of their colonial past. The Casablanca Cathedral was part of this rejection. The cathedral's change into a school immediately after independence is no coincidence. Many of the French people living there migrated elsewhere after Morocco's independence, leaving Casablanca to have a primarily Jewish and Muslim population. These people had no use for a Catholic Church, and thus they turned the Casablanca Cathedral into a school and cultural center that they would use. The Casablanca Cathedral, then, shows how Casablanca rejected their colonial religion and utilized colonial spaces for their own purposes.
Notre Dame de Lourdes
The Notre Dame de Lourdes was built between 1953 and 1956. Despite being built fairly recently, the cathedral actually has a history dating back to the 1920s. During World War II in Casablanca, many of the French men living there went back to their home countries to participate in the war, while many of the women were left behind in the city. These women wanted a place to worship the Virgin Mary. Thus, a shrine to the Virgin Mary was built in a cave by the current day Notre Dame de Lourdes. After the cave began to be utilized for baptisms and marriages, the Notre Dame de Lourdes began construction to better accommodate these religious practices. Today, the church still conducts services and gives tours of the historic buliding. Of note are the beautiful stained glass windows, which cover about 800 square meters.The Notre Dame de Lourdes shows the remnants of colonialism that continue to function in Casablanca. The Notre Dame de Lourdes was not built for locals, but instead for the French that were living in Casablanca at the time. Today, only about 20,000 Catholics remain in the entire country of Morocco. Despite the church's colonial past, the Notre Dame de Lourdes has become a center for multiculturalism as well. The first African priest in the church began to preach in the early 2000s. More Sub-Saharan students began to attend religious school there, and even the music has become more influenced by Sub-Saharan themes. Casablanca, then, was able to turn the Notre Dame de Lourdes into a multicultural center that reconciles with the church's colonial past. These Moroccan Christians were able to to make the Notre Dame de Lourdes their own, showing that despite the church being built for French people, Casablanca was able to make the church a multicultural Christian church with Moroccan and French influences.
New Medina
The New Medina, or Habous Quarter, respresents the French influence in Casablanca. Unlike the Old Medina, the New Medina was built in the 1930s while Morocco was a part of the French protectorate. The area combines French ideals and Moroccan styles throughout the architecture. The New Medina has several shops, open air restaurants, and mosques that are worth visiting. Since the area is seen as a tourist attraction, though, the Moroccan authenticity is debated. Some of the shops sell imports from Saudi Arabia. Despite this, shops still sell traditional clothes, shoes, carpets, and other wares. The bakeries are also very famous in this area, with Bennis Habous being one of the most famous. Despite now being a tourist location, the New Medina was initially utilized to separate Muslim people from the French. Medinas are known as the Muslim quarters in many of the Sub-saharan cities that experienced French colonialism. Henri Prost and Michel Echohard were the major French city planners of Casablanca. They wanted to build a city that attracted colonial settlers, but many were scared to live in Africa. Thus, they built the New Medina in Casablanca to separate the city by race and religion, so that the French would feel safer. This area, then, shows the racist and anti-Islamic colonial past of Casablanca. The French did not believe that Muslims, due to their race and religion, were equal to them and thus must be separated from their living quarters. This was the initial purpose of the New Medina.
Al-Quds Mosque
In the Roches Noire district, the Al-Quds Mosque serves as a peculiar Islamic religious center. In the 1920s, the building was built by a Frenchman named Eugène Lendrat. The initial purpose of the building was to serve as a Catholic church. The church was named Église de Sainte Marguerite and was a replicate of the Saint-Martin church in Pau. The area of Roches Noire, then, was initially a neighborhood for French people, and the church served the colonial relgion. In 1981, after King Hassan II's Morocconization policies caused Europeans to migrate away from Morocco, the church was turned into the Al-Quds Mosque. The exterior and interior exemplifies European traditional style, specifically Neo-Gothic. The services, though, now serve an Islamic purpose.The Al-Quds Mosque shows how Casablanca continues to reject colonial influences on religion. As previously stated, a very small population in Morocco continues to practice Catholicism. Many of the Catholic churches in Casablanca today are non-functioning. What makes the Al-Quds Mosque so interesting, though, is that instead of being abandoned or turned into a cultural center, the church became a mosque. Not only is Casablanca rejecting the colonial religion, but Casablanca also changed this colonial church to match with their own religious identity. The Al-Quds Mosque represents Casablanca's post-colonial identity: the city continues to have colonial influence, but Muslim identities continue to prevail over the usage of space in Casablanca.
Museum of Moroccan Judaism
The Museum of Moroccan Judaism in Casablanca is the only Jewish museum in the Arab world. The museum was founded by Serge Berdugo, Jacques Toledano, Boris Toledano and Simon Levy in 1997, with some help from the Moroccan government and the Ministry of Culture. Interestingly, the museum's curator, Zhor Rehihil, is a Muslim woman with a Ph.D. in Jewish studies. The museum boasts several artifacts displaying Jewish heritage on Moroccan soil. Some of the major artifacts include a Torah produced in Morocco and the reconstructed jewellry-making shop of Saul Cohen. The museum also host university students for aiding in research on Moroccan Jewish identity and heritage.Unfortunately, due to colonialism and other factors previously discussed, several Jewish people left Morocco during the World War II era. Zhor Rehihil stated, “As Muslim Moroccans, we feel we lost a part of our identity when Moroccan Jews left the country." Despite only being home to 2,000 Jewish people today, Casablanca continues to feel the importance of Judaism in their culture. This museum, along with Mohamed VI's Jewish Heritage program, shows how Casablanca continues to work toward acceptance of Jewish people. Many of them faced persecution in Morocco, but Casablanca continued to be known as a very tolerant place. The Jewish and Muslim identities in Casablanca, then, represent the major religious identities in the city, both of which genuinely respect and accept each other.
