THE MEDINA CASABLANCA CHARMING LIVELY PICTURESQUE
INTRODUCTION
You have to imagine an old radio set with a hoarse voice, placed on the rickety shelf of a shop, and which chants Koranic verses. The still sleepy sky glows with the first light of day. It’s 5 a.m., the medina stretches out to its full length and Casa wakes up.
The first merchants opened shop, stocked up, dusted off. Here and there a cart or a donkey loaded with goods strolls, in the distance the main arteries of the city are already beginning to hum with the noise of engines. The street vendors find their locations.
In a few hours, the bazaar will be teeming with people, a colorful crowd made up of shoppers, walkers, tourists, residents of the medina, peddlers, stray cats attracted by the smell of grilled fish escaping from the gargotières.
FROM ANFA TO THE MEDINA
Located between the boulevards of Almohades and Sour Jdid, the legendary Moorish café La Sqala and the legendary Rick’s Café, the medina is generally accessed from Bab Marrakech, “the gateway to Marrakech. Historic heart of Casablanca, it was built between 900 and 1500, and corresponds, according to the oldest writings, to the original Anfa. Without being able to precisely date the birth of the medina, it is attested that Casablanca, and the medina, were partially destroyed by the Lisbon earthquake of November 1755. Sultan Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah then decided to rebuild the city in 1770, and named it “Dar El-Beïda”, the White House.
THE SECRETS OF “DAR EL-BEÏDA”
It is often believed, and wrongly, that “Dar El-Beïda” is the translation of the Portuguese “Casa Blanca”. It’s exactly the opposite! The origin of this name lies in the 14th century where a legend tells that the sanctuary of Sidi Allal Kairouani, a sailor from Kairouan, in Tunisia, located at the entrance to the medina, was named Maison Blanche. It was built by Sultan Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah in homage to Sidi Allal Kairouani, patron saint of fishermen and holy man renowned for his wisdom and piety. The sanctuary would have been named “Dar El-Beïda” in honor of his late daughter, Lalla Beïda, who died of drowning while coming to join her father, and who was praised for the immaculate whiteness of her face.
LIKE THE MEDITERRANEAN
More recent than the other medinas of the imperial cities following the reconstruction work which followed the earthquake, it also differs in its architecture mixing Arab-Moorish and colonial styles. In certain respects, the old medina of Casablanca would be reminiscent of Mediterranean cities, with its maze of alleys, its white facades, its wrought iron balconies, its Moorish arcades, moldings and large bays, its Andalusian zelliges and patios.
A SOCIOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTION
By neighborhood
At the time of its reconstruction, the old medina was equipped with ramparts 6 to 8 meters high, around a perimeter of 4 kilometers. These latter are pierced by 8 doors, the best known of which remains Bab Marrakech, but also Bal El-Kebir or Bab El-Marsa. Inside, it is divided into 3 districts depending on social class or religion. The “medina” district, strictly speaking, where the residence of the Caïd or Dar El-Mekhzan was located, the consulates, the main markets, mosques and sanctuaries. The Moroccan bourgeoisie, both Muslim and Jewish, and a small European community of expatriates have taken up residence there. And finally the “tnaker”, a popular Muslim district.
THE MIXING OF CULTURES OVER THE CENTURIES
Jewish and Berber populations from the mountains, peasants from the plains and southern Morocco, migrated to the old medina at the beginning of the 18th century. Traders from the large cities of the kingdom, diplomats and more generally Europeans also came to settle there. The result is a harmonious cultural and spiritual mix, reciprocal influences and fraternal bonds between communities. Today, the cosmopolitanism which characterizes the old medina still bears within it the traces of peaceful and happy cohabitation. Sub-Saharan populations have joined this beating heart of the old city, and one of the markets in the medina bears the name “Little Dakar”, and serves as a counter that sells products from all over Africa.
Pleasures of the senses
After having strolled with the wind, walked through the alleys of the mellah, contemplated the fortifications on the Sqala side, addressed a prayer to Sidi Allal Kairouani and Sidi Bou Smara, wandered in the row of bazaars which run along the outside of the ramparts, perhaps succumbed to a Moroccan craft product or a djellaba, the walker will enjoy a gourmet break at the entrance to the medina, in the small square where the street sellers congregate. We will enjoy a bowl of snails cooked in a spicy broth served piping hot. The sky is starting to turn purple. The lit medina still vibrates with human agitation, while a languorous and solemn chant of Oum Kalthoum rises in a volute towards the firmament.
CONCLUSION
Casablanca Medina is an exceptional blend of Moroccan tradition and urban bustle. Although less famous than some medinas in Morocco, its place within Casablanca history cannot be overlooked; with bustling markets, historical architecture styles, local feel experiences that create truly immersive tours through this historical heart of Casablanca’s past and future is undeniable.
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