Casablanca Cultural Tours
This Casablanca cultural tours is one of our best guided tours in the city of Casablanca.
Your private driver along with your private guide will pick you up from your hotel or riad. The journey starts around 9am.
We start with a car tour of the center of the city then we stop at the Hassan the second mosque. It is the world’s third largest mosque that was built by the King Hassan the 2nd. It holds up to 25,000 worshippers with over 80,000 in the squares around it. Your driver will take you to the El Hank Lighthouse which was built in 1919. El Hank Lighthouse stands 161 feet high and its light can be seen from 30 miles away. Then next step is a long walk at the corniche of Casablanca. It is a walk through the local restaurants and businesses. We will then stop by each of the following for a quick tour.
Cathédrale Sacré-Coeur (Sacred Heart Cathedral)
Set on the edge of the Parc de la Ligue Arabe, Casablanca’s largest park, this is one of several fine Christian places of worship that have survived since the end of the days of the French protectorate in 1956. Though European in style, its ornate edifice employs many Moroccan motifs, but sadly its interior has been neglected as it is no longer used as a place of worship. Another Christian site worth visiting is the still-used Church of Notre Dame of Lourdes, with its outstanding stained glass, on Avenue Zerktouni, by the Ronde de L’Europe roundabout.
Musée du Judaïsme Marocain (Museum of Moroccan Judaism)
Set 5km (3 miles) from the city centre, in the suburb of Oasis, this truly unique attraction is the only known Jewish museum to be found in a Muslim country. Set in this modern and well-maintained building is a collection of religious books, costumes and sacramental artefacts. In part, the museum is a celebration of the traditional mutual tolerance and acceptance between the Muslim and Jewish communities of Morocco, the latter having reduced substantially since the creation of the State of Israel, but still numbered in the thousands. When Islamic extremists killed 45 people in attacks on mostly Jewish properties and businesses in 2003, it sparked the country’s biggest ever protest demonstration, marching under the banner ‘Jews and Muslims; we are all citizens, we are all moroccans.
Place Mohammed V
Laid out as the Place de France in 1920, then renamed as Place des Nations Allies after WWII, this imposing square has finally come to be known as Place Mohammed V. Undisputedly the heart of Casablanca, its arcades are lined with bustling cafés and souvenir shops while the impressive clock tower keeps time over the hustle and bustle. Running off the square, towards the busy port, is the shop and restaurant-lined boulevard, Houphouët Boigny. This is where you’ll find a memorial to Sidi Belyout, Casablanca’s present patron saint.
Sidi Abdel Rahman Shrine
One of the more unusual spots in Casablanca is the shrine of Sidi Abdel Rahman, on the edge of the Corniche neighbourhood. Set on a tiny island and only reachable when the tide is low (at which time pilgrims simply walk across the shallow waters), many Muslims come here to chase out evil jinn spirits. A few merchants and healers live on the island, but non-Muslims are forbidden to enter. However, the nearby beaches are a social meeting point, with families gathering to eat snails and looking for crabs, especially on weekends.
Casablanca Twin Center
A strident piece of contemporary architecture built by Spain’s Ricardo Bofill Levi and Elie Mouval in 1999, this twin-tower complex, soaring 115m (377ft) skywards, contains offices, a hotel, shopping malls and a state-of-the-art conference centre. It is seen as an evocation of Casablanca’s commercial vibrancy and is one of the pioneers in the city’s growing wave of stunning contemporary property.
Habous
Modelled on the original Casablanca medina, and sometimes known as the ‘new medina’, the Quartier Habous was constructed by the French during the 1930s. The Habous was supposed to bring French order while preserving Moroccan style. As though to demonstrate the harmonious triumph of occupied life (which came to an end in 1950s). The Moorish-style arches, little lanes and bazaars do a good job of replicating the medina feel. Though there’s no substitute for the real thing, it’s a good base from which to explore the Royal Palace, and to pick up clothes and traditional pastries.
Medina of Casablanca
The medina of Casablanca is the oldest part of the city, dating back to before the French protectorate. The Casablanca cultural tours will help you discover its history. Two of the original gates of the old city walls still survive. Other attractions include an 18th-century fortress. We also will stop at a jewellery market and the tomb of Sidi Allal el-Kairouani, who became the city’s patron saint in 1350.
The medina has not always been the safest part of the city to walk around. It is the fragment of traditional life that survives here. You will pass children playing football, stalls piled high with fruit and vegetables. You would also see cafes serving mint tea, and little shops of every description. In some ways, this is the most Moroccan-feeling part of Casablanca.
Villa des Arts Casablanca
Set in a gorgeous art deco building that dates back to 1934, Villa des Arts is Casablanca’s essential art stop. Run by the ONA Foundation and is responsible for Morocco’s most important cultural projects. It is primarily a venue for contemporary art, but also promotes Moroccan traditions and historic artistic trends. There are many compelling paintings of local people and peasants to be seen here as well as more abstract works.
We will then go back to our car and head toward your hotel or riad. We usually finish our Casablanca cultural tour around 6 pm.
Why choose us for your Casablanca Cultural Tours?
- High quality vehicles as well as SUV’s available
- We monitor your Flight so you don’t have to worry about flight delays
- 24/7 Customer support, you can call us, email us or chat with us anytime you would like
- Groups booking allowed for up to 42 people
- No hidden costs, you pay the exact advertised cost
- Transferring you to your destination directly, hotel, riad or business meeting.
- Email and phone confirmations for peace of mind
- We offer 1 to 4, 1 to 8, 17 ,32 and 42 vehicle capacity
- Professional service by our licensed drivers
- Our drivers are fluent in French, English, Spanish, Italian, Arabic and German
Please email us to get more details about our Casablanca Cultural Tours or to make special arrangements on your booking. Our contact page has more convenient ways to reach us.
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