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Imperial cities in Morocco

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Imperial cities in Morocco

There are four of them. Four cities where Morocco’s great reigning dynasties decided to take up residence.Fez the most ancient of the imperial cities, Meknes the prestigious one, Rabat the magnificent and Marrakesh the finest and most renowned.

Cross-roads of the Arabic-islamic civilisation, these cities were chosen for their privileged geographical position and also coincidentally. This is often the way great cities are born.

FEZ
So what if Moulay Idriss had never been driven out of the East, if he had not arrived in Maghreb El Aqsa and had never settled in the Zerhoun region at VolubIlis? So what if he had not had a son who decided to round his capital on the Saïs plain, on both banks of the Oued Fez …if … yes, even if none of this had ‘happened, Fez would have been founded : such a welcoming site, fertile lands, water, a lot of water : what more can anyone wish for ? Idriss II made the right judgement when he decided capital in the year 190 of the Hegira. The town was divided into two parts, the city build on the right bank was called “Adwa des Andatous” and the city build on the left bank, “Adwa des Kalrouanais” Idriss Il scarcely had time to appreciate his work,to expand and to embellish ït when ha died an untimely death at 35year of age.

His Successors however finished of his work :the Almoravides led by Ben Tachfine. It was thanks to him that Fez became not only the religious capital but also the intellectual and artistic capital. lt never lost this rank as although and Marrakesh attracted monarchs, the latter continued to respect the cradle of Moroccan Arabic-Islamic civilisation : Fez
on: Fez the well-beloved. this town in the same way as all Moroccan towns has a double character, although the anachronism is not too obvious. In the old Town of Fez, history is related by each sign, each paving¬stone, each building that has lived through the ages: El Quaraouyine or the Kasbah Filala etc …

In the Old Town of Fez you go right back several centuries, not only because of the architecture, but also thanks to the presence of generations of craftsmen, fathers and sons. whose soundest heritage is their craft, their Art.
Thanks to this wealth of craftsmen. it is Fez rather than Marrakesh that can be considered the capital of the Moroccan handicrafts industry. Inestimable treasures can be found in the Old Fez : jewellery, sculpted wood. engraved leather etc … a feast for the eyes. The Old Town of Fez and its treasures dominate the other Fez, the modern town, with self¬complacency devoid of arrogance.

As for the New Town, it contemplates the Old Town with the sane respect that pupils used to have for their masters. Neither the brightly-lit streets, the luxury hotels, the srnart shops or the residential areas full of villas, each one different from the ether (and each one more beautiful than the ether]. nothing, absolutely nothing of all this and nothing else besides can make the New Town and its inhabitants forget that there exists only one Fez: the Ancient one.

Sixty kilometres from Fez the Sublime, lies another imperial city, Meknes the discreet…

Meknes, Imperial city in Morocco

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Meknes, Imperial city in Morocco

Meknes is set in a pre-eminently favourable geographic position: at the cross-roads of the majestic Middle Atlas mountain chain. Since its foundation in the Xth century by Zenete tribes from Meknassa which had come from the East to settle on the banks of Oued Boufekrane, Meknes has never ceased to attract and captivate all those who com to visit. However, it did not reach the peak of its glory until fairly late in 1672. when Moulay Ismaël mad it his capital. Indeed Moulay Ismail » was the first monarch who considerable achievement reverberated as far as the East and to Europe. especially to the French. Court of Louis XIV, the Sun King. much so that Moulay Ismaël is automatically associated with Meknes.It was thanks to Alaouite kings in general and Moulay Ismaël in particular, that Meknes developed in such brilliant way. You only need to visit Meknes to see that this town h remained a tapestry of all that noble, scenic and colourful in t country : the varied beauty of many sites, its rare relies and imposing monuments. There is lack of examples : the circle of ramparts. the famous Bab Mansour gateway. The royal palace, the Berima and Sidi Othmane mosques. the vast ancient stables or even Bab Berdeaine. the fine XVll th century gate. the Jemâa El Rouah Mede after a visit to the mosque of Sidi Saïd, before reaching Bab El Khemis. One of the most admirable testimonies is without a doubt the Heri. This is a famous and huge XVll th century granary : from its terrace a fabulous garden dominates the town, with a view over the Aqdal ornamental lake, a vast stretch of water four hundred metres long and a hundred metres wide.
Other points of interest to remember are the Lalla Aouda Square, the El Hédime Square, the Jamaï palace which has been turned into a museum of Moroccan arts; and of course the inevitable medina, the old town, the Old Meknes, where lies the most ancient mosque in Meknès which, like the town itself,dates back to the Xth century. The carpet-auction souk, « Souk Ed Dlala », the Bouinania Medersa, a XIVth century theological institution, the Jemâa El Kebir Mosque which has more than twelve entrances and tinatly, another Medersa, not far from the xissarta. the Filala, built in 1689 by Moulay Ismaël …

It is in the Kissaria or Souk,just as in all Moroccan towns, that you find the craftsmen : the caftan ¬makers. the workers of mosaïc, the « Kharrazines » (makers of Moroccan slippers and ether leather-goods).

There is also a lot to be seen on the outskirts of Meknes : legendary sites, splendid landscapes, fascinating places such as Moulay Idriss Zerhoun and the nearby ruins of the Roman town of Volubilis ; Azrou surrounded by majestic forests of cedars and green oaks : Ifrane, Morocco’S answer to Chamonix, with its red-tiled nouses. its green meadows, healthy invigorating climate, its resort at Mount Michlifen ; the district towards Midelt, Ifran even Immouzzer. On the road to Rabat, there are also two fine lakes Rabat is the next imperial city after Meknes : a city with deep roots and charm both arresting and discreet. Meknes has known its hour, indeed its centuries of glory and remains one of the principal towns in the Kingdom.

Casablanca, city of a hundred faces

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Casablanca, city of a hun¬dred faces

On the eve of the 21 st century, arcbi¬tect Ricardo Bofill abandoned his neo-antique style in order to conceive the Casablanca World Trade Center, whose two office towers soar 100-meters high and have since been known as « The Twins ».

An industrial, commercial and finan¬cial capital, Casablanca is the largest conglomeration in the Maghreb. The newly mirrored facades of some of its office buildings ought not dissuade you. Casablanca, fruit of a rich cosmopolitan history, deserves a closer look.

Urbanism, a quite unique history

Casa Blanca, the name given by the Portuguese who formerly inhabited the city, was changed in the 18th century to Dar-El-Beida: which is easily translated into ail languages as the « white city ».

At the beginning of the French protectorate, the city was circumscribed by sur¬rounding wails, which today is the site of the Medina. if 25,000 people were living there in 1907, today Greater Casablanca numbers some 3,500,000 inhabitants.

In 1914, the city created an architec¬tural and urban planning directorate which for ten years was headed by Henri Prost. The directions taken then were not always appreciated, mainly the decision to separate traditional neighbourhoods from newer ones. This was done in order to preserve the integrity of the older sec¬tions so as to better answer the demands of modern urbanism. That was not only done by Prost in Casablanca, but as well in Rabat, Meknes, Fes and Marrakech. This separation could have led to the medinas being reduced to museum-cities, but this did not occur.

The port, which today handles close to 44 % of Moroccan maritime traffic, the main train station as well as the princi¬pal and ample avenues were created then. Around the port, the town spreads out like a fan. To the east, the industrial zone was established while to the west residential areas grew. The prestigious Anfa Hill which overlooks the sea was already appreciated by the Phoe¬nicians in the 6th century. .. The Arab League Park, an immense green public area with arcades, pergolas and shaded outdoor cafes, dates to the 1920s as do many of the buildings in the center of the city.
In order to cope with the extension of a conglomeration of 650,000 inhabitants, a new city planner was appointed in 1952: Michel Ecochard. It was he who was intrigued by the challenge of constructing for even larger numbers of inhabitants and who would expand the industrial zone along the seaside while creating at the same time the new neighbourhoods of Bourgogne, Racine and Beausejour to the west.
Responding to the challenge of an urban vision at the scale of a megalopo¬lis, the conglomeration was built in Wilaya and divided into six large dis¬tricts. This administrative division, the creation of the Urban Agency in 1984, allowed a realistic development strategy under the supervision of the Ministry of the Interior.

Casablanca Architecture: An abundance of influences

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Casablanca Architecture: An abundance of influences

The Great Hassan II Mosque, an architectural masterpiece and the sym¬bol of an Islam open to the world and to science according to the wish of His Majesty Hassan II, was constructed part¬ly on water, at the extreme western edge of the Maghreb. Inaugurated in 1993 (one can visit the mosque which is quite exceptional), it includes a medersa (a religious college), a library, a national museum and several huge conference halls. It is as well the pivot of 21 st centu¬ry Casablanca. On the Corniche which is located between the Great Mosque and El Hank, a great public area unto a park and a sea world will be created. Apart from this major road will link those buil¬dings to the heart of the city, to the United Nations Plaza, and it will also com¬prise a Convention Center, a theater. ..

From the Sacre-Cœur Cathedral,whose two pyramidal steeples are a land¬mark in the Arab League Park, to the Fraternity Plaza, where the magnificent palm tree-bordered Boulevards Rachidi and Moulay Youssef inter¬sect; one can go back in time along a promenade whose bougainvillea bushes hide Art Deco villas. Built in 1920, the Central Post Office offers a place of honor to the mailbox under arcades in the heart of the main facade. The forget iron stylized grilled grating blends with « zellige » (small pieces of enameled bricks) so typical of Moroccan decorative art. Mohamed V Plaza is the administra¬tive center of Casablanca: the style of the Palace of Justice with its patio delimited by a portico reflects the time when desi¬gn and interior decoration were unique to Moroccan artisans.

At the center of the city, here and the¬re, a colored dome attracts the eye and the building beneath still bears the name of the company or an old store. This com¬posite style is marked by strict rules which do not exclude an undulating facade and which are mixed with rich decorative details where the artisans were encouraged to express themselves.
A gigantic size … and a true charm

Casablanca is also an oceanic city.

From the El Hank Lighthouse, a string of beaches, fully equipped swimming pools, cafes, hotels and restaurants line the Cor¬niche Boulevard, one of the most popu¬lar meeting places for Casablancans.
Casablanca, however, like all metropo¬lises, does not ever stop rebuilding itself over time. In the 50s, the Liberty Buil¬ding at the juncture of Liberty and Zerk¬touni Boulevards, with its bigb concave facade, was at its time the tallest buil¬ding in Africa. Tomorrow, the Casablanca Trade Center will be the core of the city’s new international business quarter. Occupying twin towers which soar 100 meters high, it will contain ultra-modern offices, a convention center, commercial galleries, etc … Other futuristically desi¬gned buildings will replace the villas of a bygone era and malls have been built to the satisfaction of shoppers.
As the year 2, 000 approaches, Casa¬blanca remains a city of a hundred faces and despite its gigantic size the town still preserves a true charm. Even if the Metro’ system is on its way in the near future, we wager that the inhabitants will conti¬nue to stroll in the open air, their eyes alert to the captivating urban kaleido¬scope of their city