Moroccan Top Ten: Art Deco Heritage

Casablanca, Morocco

#9.  Visit the Hassan II Mosque

Having left Gibraltar very early, taken a 7am bus from La Línea de la Concepcióno across the border in Spain, arrived in Tarifa, boarded the 9am fast ferry to Tangier, dashed for the 11.30 train to Casablanca and then argued (as you do!) for a taxi fare to our hotel (also not booked), we felt we had achieved the ultimate in free-form travel.  The Motleys allowed two days to get to Casablanca and had made it in one.  We celebrated by having a beer (also a rare event in Islamic Morocco) and dinner in Hotel Al Mamoun.  This hotel had just the right Moroccan flavour with decorative tile work, French antiques and nightclub customers enjoying an evening shisha pipe. And they found us a room despite the fact we had arrived a day early.

Villa des Artes (Are we in Singapore?)

Next morning we set off to explore Casablanca, Morocco’s commercial hub that has a decidedly French flair and an Art-Deco vibe.  The city is an immediate assault on all senses.  Dirty, full of rubbish, people and chaotic traffic, all horns, braying donkeys and demanding touts eager to fleece your last dirham.  For all that, tourists were a rare enough site and we settled in to strolling with locals to see art deco gems left by colonial French.   Our first stop was the well cared for Villa des Arts, a restored 1930’s mansion that could have been equally at home in Singapore; now it’s an art gallery showcasing contemporary Moroccan art.

Tiles with style

From here we walked past the Cathedral du Sacre Coeur (1930), deconsecrated and dilapidated, into the old walled Medina, through narrow streets lined small shops and carts selling fresh produce, meat, fish, plastic shoes, computer spares and the ubiquitous mint tea.  We slid out into a government store (set prices) only to find the Cap’n cornered in the carpet section.  Pricing in Morocco proved to be dealing the ultimate in slippery little suckers…. 

Hassan II Mosque decorative detail

We took the opportunity to visit Hassan II Mosque the next morning.  Note: it is as far from Art Deco style as one can possibly imagine.  The Mosque is one of the largest religious buildings in the Islamic world.  It sits, perched out on the edge of the Atlantic coastline, and is reported to have cost some US$800m to construct.  The craftsmanship is absolutely superb though, with dazzling tile work, decorative fountains and stunning painted woodwork.  Fortunately, non-Muslims are allowed to visit this extravaganza where more than 100,000 devotees can come at any one time to pray.

Hassan II Mosque interior

The intrigue and romance of Hollywood and Ricks Café (Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman) eluded us.  The city has had many reiterations since its beginnings as a Phoenician trading post (6^th c BC). This was just one of them.