Casablanca lies on the Atlantic coast of Morocco and is most commonly known by foreigners as the setting for the famous Bogart movie by the same name. It is Morocco’s largest city, industrial center and port. It is also much more cosmopolitan and European-like than the other Moroccan cities. The major tourist site is the King Hassan II Mosque (above right), built for the 60th birthday of former Moroccan king Hassan II, is the largest religious monument in the world after Mecca. The minaret, at 210 meters (feet) is the tallest in the world. It sits next to the port in an open area where it is easy to admire the style and sheer size of the structure. It is said to be able to fit the Notre Dame or St. Peter’s in its prayer hall and was built to hold 25,000 worshippers. It is so large you have to take pictures from a distance if you want to get the entire structure in your picture without a wide angle lens.

Up close, the architecture is sumptuous with arcades of arches, beautifully tiled fountains and huge platinum doors. The interior is equally well fitted, but as we arrived late in the day, we were not able to take advantage of the guided tours (the only way non-Muslims may enter). The materials were supplied mostly from Morocco and thousands of craftsmen were employed in the construction. However, after seeing other architectural delights around the country, we found the quality of craftsmanship to be a bit less than exemplary, though the design concepts are. The photo above left is one example of a tiled fountain at the mosque. Note that the young women on the right are dressed in western wear, while the one at the left is in the traditional dress. This is a good example of mix of fashion and belief in this modern city.

Another tourist hangout (at least for those who have seen the movie Casablanca) is a visit to Rick’s Cafe. No, there was no real Rick’s, but recently an American business woman has recreated the feel of the cafe in a small restaurant near the port. It is definitely smaller than the one in the movie, but she has done a good job with the furnishings and decor. So we stopped by for a drink and some photos. At right is a shot of Jim and Verna’s Dad, standing in front of Rick’s Cafe. Now we can all say “Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.”

For a few more pictures of Casablanca, click here.

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