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Casablanca: the story on HearLore | HearLore
Casablanca
Before the name Casablanca existed, the settlement was known as Anfa, a name derived from the Tamazight word for hill or promontory, and it thrived as a Berber port as early as the seventh century BC. This ancient town became a haven for pirates and privateers in the early 15th century, drawing the ire of the Portuguese who bombarded it into ruins in 1468. The Portuguese renamed the site Casa Branca, or White House, a translation that would eventually evolve into the modern name. The origins of the name remain a subject of debate, with theories ranging from a Sufi saint named Allal al-Qairawani and his wife Lalla al-Baiďa, to the presence of a white-washed structure that served as a navigational landmark for sailors. The Portuguese cartographer Duarte Pacheco noted in the early 16th century that the city could be easily identified by a tower, and nautical guides from the late 19th century still referenced a white tower as a point of reference. The name Casablanca was a calque of the Portuguese name when the Spanish took over trade through the Iberian Union, and it remained in use during the French protectorate, though Moroccans still call the city Casa for short or by its Arabic name, Dar al-Baiďa. The area was founded and settled by Berbers by the seventh century BC, and it was used as a port by the Phoenicians and then the Romans. In his book Description of Africa, Leo Africanus referred to ancient Casablanca as Anfa, a great city founded in the Berber kingdom of Barghawata in 744 AD. He believed Anfa was the most prosperous city on the Atlantic Coast because of its fertile land. Barghawata rose as an independent state around this time, and continued until it was conquered by the Almoravids in 1068. After the defeat of the Barghawata in the 12th century, Arab tribes of Hilal and Sulaym descent settled in the region, mixing with the local Berbers, which led to widespread Arabization. During the 14th century, under the Merinids, Anfa rose in importance as a port. The last of the Merinids were ousted by a popular revolt in 1465.
The Bombardment of 1907
The Treaty of Algeciras of 1906 formalized French preeminence in Morocco and included three measures that directly impacted Casablanca, but it was the events of 1907 that turned the city into a symbol of resistance. To build the port's breakwater, narrow-gauge track was laid in June 1907 for a small Decauville locomotive to connect the port to a quarry in Roches Noires, passing through the sacred Sidi Belyout graveyard. In resistance to this and the measures of the 1906 Treaty of Algeciras, tribesmen of the Chaouia attacked the locomotive, killing 9 Compagnie Marocaine laborers, three French, three Italians, and three Spanish. In response, the French bombarded the city in August 1907 with multiple gunboats and landed troops inside the town, causing severe damage and killing between 600 and 3,000 Moroccans. Estimates for the total casualties are as high as 15,000 dead and wounded. In the immediate aftermath of the bombardment and the deployment of French troops, the European homes and the Mellah, or Jewish quarter, were sacked, and the latter was also set ablaze. As Oujda had already been occupied, the bombardment and military invasion of the city opened a western front to the French military conquest of Morocco. The area's population began to grow as it became a major supplier of wool to the booming textile industry in Britain and shipping traffic increased, with the British importing gunpowder tea, used in Morocco's national drink, mint tea. By the 1860s, around 5,000 residents were there, and the population grew to around 10,000 by the late 1880s. Casablanca remained a modestly sized port, with a population reaching around 12,000 within a few years of the French conquest and arrival of French colonialists in 1906. By 1921, this rose to 110,000, largely through the development of shanty towns. French control of Casablanca was formalized March 1912 when the Treaty of Fez established the French protectorate. Under French imperial control, Casablanca became a port of colonial extraction. Right at the beginning of the twentieth century when Morocco was officially declared a French protectorate, the French decided to shift power to Morocco's coastal areas, i.e., Rabat and Casablanca, at the expense of its interior areas, i.e., Fez and Marrakesh. Rabat was made the administrative capital of the country and Casablanca its economic capital. General Hubert Lyautey assigned the planning of the new colonial port city to Henri Prost. As he did in other Moroccan cities, Prost designed a European ville nouvelle outside the walls of the medina. In Casablanca, he also designed a new ville nouvelle to house Moroccans arriving from other cities. Europeans formed almost half the population of Casablanca. A 1937, 1938 typhoid fever outbreak was exploited by colonial authorities to justify the appropriation of urban spaces in Casablanca. Moroccans residing in informal housing were cleared out of the center and displaced, notably to Hay Mohammadi.
When was Casablanca founded and what was its original name?
The settlement now known as Casablanca was founded and settled by Berbers by the seventh century BC under the name Anfa. This ancient town thrived as a Berber port and was later used by the Phoenicians and Romans before becoming a haven for pirates in the early 15th century.
Who named Casablanca and when did the Portuguese arrive?
The Portuguese renamed the site Casa Branca, or White House, after bombarding the original town of Anfa into ruins in 1468. The name Casablanca was a calque of the Portuguese name when the Spanish took over trade through the Iberian Union and remained in use during the French protectorate.
What happened during the French bombardment of Casablanca in 1907?
The French bombarded the city in August 1907 with multiple gunboats and landed troops inside the town, causing severe damage and killing between 600 and 3,000 Moroccans. Estimates for the total casualties are as high as 15,000 dead and wounded, and the European homes and the Mellah were sacked and set ablaze.
When did Casablanca host the Allied conference during World War II?
Casablanca hosted the Anfa Conference, also called the Casablanca Conference, in January 1943. Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin D. Roosevelt discussed the progress of the war and adopted the doctrine of unconditional surrender at this meeting.
When did Casablanca gain independence from France?
Morocco gained independence from France in 1956, which marked the beginning of a post-independence era with significant urban transformations and socio-economic shifts. The city became a major supplier of wool to the booming textile industry in Britain and shipping traffic increased during the late 19th century.
What is the population of Casablanca according to the 2014 census?
The commune of Casablanca recorded a population of 3,359,818 in the 2014 Moroccan census. About 98% of the population live in urban areas, and the city represents about 11% of the total population of Morocco.
After Philippe Pétain of France signed the armistice with the Nazis, he ordered French troops in France's colonial empire to defend French territory against any aggressors, applying a policy of asymmetrical neutrality in favour of the Germans. French colonists in Morocco generally supported Pétain, while Moroccans tended to favour de Gaulle and the Allies. Operation Torch, which started on the 8th of November 1942, was the British-American invasion of French North Africa during the North African campaign of World War II. The Western Task Force, composed of American units led by Major General George S. Patton and Rear Admiral Henry Kent Hewitt, carried out the invasions of Mehdia, Fedhala, and Asfi. American forces captured Casablanca from Vichy control when France surrendered the 11th of November 1942, but the Naval Battle of Casablanca continued until American forces sank German submarine U-173 on the 16th of November. Casablanca was the site of the Berrechid Airfield, a large American air base used as the staging area for all American aircraft for the European theatre of World War II. The airfield has since become Mohammed V International Airport. Casablanca hosted the Anfa Conference, also called the Casablanca Conference, in January 1943. Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin D. Roosevelt discussed the progress of the war. Also in attendance were the Free France generals Charles de Gaulle and Henri Giraud, though they played minor roles and didn't participate in the military planning. It was at this conference that the Allies adopted the doctrine of unconditional surrender, meaning that the Axis powers would be fought until their defeat. Roosevelt also met privately with Sultan Muhammad V and expressed his support for Moroccan independence after the war. This became a turning point, as Moroccan nationalists were emboldened to openly seek complete independence. During the 1940s and 1950s, Casablanca was a major centre of anti-French rioting. On the 7th of April 1947, a massacre of working class Moroccans, carried out by Senegalese Tirailleurs in the service of the French colonial army, was instigated just as Sultan Muhammed V was due to make a speech in Tangier appealing for independence. Riots in Casablanca took place from 7, the 8th of December 1952, in response to the assassination of the Tunisian labor unionist Farhat Hached by La Main Rouge, the clandestine militant wing of French intelligence. Then, on the 25th of December 1953, Christmas Day, Muhammad Zarqtuni orchestrated a bombing of Casablanca's Central Market in response to the forced exile of Sultan Muhammad V and the royal family on the 20th of August, Eid al-Adha, of that year.
The Years of Lead and Reform
Morocco gained independence from France in 1956, but the post-independence era witnessed significant urban transformations and socio-economic shifts, particularly in neighborhoods like Hay Mohammadi, which were deeply impacted by neoliberal policies and state-led urban redevelopment projects. The 1965 student protests organized by the National Union of Popular Forces-affiliated National Union of Moroccan Students, which spread to cities around the country and devolved into riots, started on the 22nd of March 1965, in front of Lycée Mohammed V in Casablanca. The protests started as a peaceful march to demand the right to public higher education for Morocco, but expanded to include concerns of labourers, the unemployed, and other marginalized segments of society, and devolved into vandalism and rioting. The riots were violently repressed by security forces with tanks and armoured vehicles; Moroccan authorities reported a dozen deaths while the UNFP reported more than 1,000. This violent suppression happened under the minister of interior Mohamed Oufkir's direction. He personally machine-gunned rioters from his helicopter. King Hassan II blamed the events on teachers and parents, and declared in a speech to the nation on the 30th of March 1965: There is no greater danger to the State than a so-called intellectual. It would have been better if you were all illiterate. On the 6th of June 1981, the Casablanca Bread Riots took place, which were sparked by a sharp increase in the price of necessities such as butter, sugar, wheat flour, and cooking oil following a period of severe drought. Hassan II appointed the French-trained interior minister Driss Basri as hardliner, who would later become a symbol of the Years of Lead, with quelling the protests. The government stated that 66 people were killed and 100 were injured, while opposition leaders put the number of dead at 637, saying that many of these were killed by police and army gunfire. In March 2000, more than 60 women's groups organized demonstrations in Casablanca proposing reforms to the legal status of women in the country. About 40,000 women attended, calling for a ban on polygamy and the introduction of divorce law, divorce being a purely religious procedure at that time. Although the counter-demonstration attracted half a million participants, the movement for change started in 2000 was influential on King Mohammed VI, and he enacted a new mudawana, or family law, in early 2004, meeting some of the demands of women's rights activists. On the 16th of May 2003, 33 civilians were killed and more than 100 people were injured when Casablanca was hit by a multiple suicide bomb attack carried out by Moroccans and claimed by some to have been linked to al-Qaeda. Twelve suicide bombers struck five locations in the city. Another series of suicide bombings struck the city in early 2007. These events illustrated some of the persistent challenges the city faces in addressing poverty and integrating disadvantaged neighborhoods and populations. One initiative to improve conditions in the city's disadvantaged neighborhoods was the creation of the Sidi Moumen Cultural Center. As calls for reform spread through the Arab world in 2011, Moroccans joined in, but concessions by the ruler led to acceptance. However, in December, thousands of people demonstrated in several parts of the city, especially the city center near la Fontaine, desiring more significant political reforms. On the 1st of November 2023, Casablanca along with Ouarzazate joined UNESCO's Creative Cities Network.
The Jewish Quarter and The Exodus
Jews have a long history in Casablanca, with a Sephardic Jewish community in Anfa up to the destruction of the city by the Portuguese in 1468. Jews were slow to return to the town, but by 1750, the Rabbi Elijah synagogue was built as the first Jewish synagogue in Casablanca. It was destroyed along with much of the town in the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. In the mid-19th century, with commercial development through European economic penetration, industrial imports from Europe drove traditional Jewish crafts out of the market, costing many Jews in the interior their traditional livelihoods. Moroccan Jews started migrating from the interior to coastal cities such as Essaouira, Mazagan, Asfi, and later Casablanca for economic opportunity, participating in trade with Europeans and the development of those cities. Casablanca's mellah was ravaged in the bombardment of Casablanca of 1907, the beginning of the French invasion of Morocco from the West. Jean-Louis Cohen highlights the role of Jewish patrons in the architecture and urban development of Casablanca, particularly in construction of the overwhelming majority of the city's tallest buildings during the interwar period. One notable example of this trend is the Lévy-Bendayan Building designed by Marius Boyer. Approximately 28,000 Moroccan Jews immigrated to the State of Israel between 1948 and 1951, many through Casablanca. Casablanca then became a departure point in Operation Yachin, the covert Mossad-organized migration operation from 1961 to 1964. In 1956 there were 100,000 Jews registered in Casablanca. In 2018 it was estimated that there were only 2,500 Moroccan Jews living in Casablanca, while according to the World Jewish Congress there were only 1,000 Moroccan Jews remaining. Today, the Jewish cemetery of Casablanca is one of the major cemeteries of the city, and many synagogues remain in service, but the city's Jewish community has dwindled. The Moroccan Jewish Museum is a museum established in the city in 1997. The commune of Casablanca recorded a population of 3,359,818 in the 2014 Moroccan census. About 98% live in urban areas. Around 25% of the population are under 15 years old, and 9% are over 60 years old. The population of the city is about 11% of the total population of Morocco. Grand Casablanca is the largest urban area in the Maghreb. 99.9% of the population of Morocco are Arab and Berber Muslims. During the French protectorate in Morocco, European Christians formed almost half the population of Casablanca. Since Moroccan independence in 1956, the European population has decreased substantially. The city also is still home to a small community of Moroccan Christians, as well as a small group of foreign Roman Catholic and Protestant residents.
The City of Football and Film
Casablanca is home to two popular football clubs, Wydad Casablanca and Raja Casablanca, which are rivals. Raja's symbol is an eagle and Wydad's symbol is a star and crescent, a symbol of Islam. These two popular clubs have produced some of Morocco's best players, such as Salaheddine Bassir, Abdelmajid Dolmy, Baddou Zaki, Aziz Bouderbala, and Noureddine Naybet. Other football teams on top of these two major teams based in the city of Casablanca include Rachad Bernoussi, TAS de Casablanca, Majd Al Madina, and Racing Casablanca. Raja CA, founded in 1949, compete in Botola and play their home games at the Stade Mohammed V. The club is known for their supporters and is one of the most supported teams in Africa. Wydad AC, founded in 1937, also compete in Botola and play their home games at the Stade Mohammed V. Both have a strong reputation on continental competitions, having both won the CAF Champions League three times. Casablanca hosted eight African Champions League finals, all eight at the Stade Mohammed V. The Stade also hosted the 2018 CHAN Final, which Morocco won, and 1988 African Cup of Nations final. It could potentially host matches for the 2030 FIFA World Cup including the final. The Hassan II Stadium is the planned football stadium to be built in the city. Once completed in 2025, it will be used mostly for football matches and will serve as the home of Raja Casablanca, Wydad Casablanca, and the Morocco national football team. The stadium was designed with a capacity of 93,000 spectators, making it one of the highest-capacity stadiums in Africa. Once completed, it will replace the Stade Mohamed V. The initial idea of the stadium was for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, for which Morocco lost their bid to South Africa. Nevertheless, the Moroccan government supported the decision to go ahead with the plans. It will be completed in 2025. The idea of the stadium was also for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, for which Morocco lost their bid to Canada, Mexico and United States. It will now host the 2030 FIFA World Cup which Morocco will co-host with two European nations Spain and Portugal. It is expected to be complete by 2028. In the first half of the 20th century, Casablanca had many movie theaters, such as Cinema Rialto, Cinema Lynx and Cinema Vox, the largest in Africa when it was built. The 1942 American film Casablanca is set in Casablanca and has had a lasting impact on the city's image although it was filmed in the United States. Rick's Café Casablanca, which opened in 2004, was inspired by the film. Mostafa Derkaoui's revolutionary independent film About Some Meaningless Events took place in Casablanca. It was the main subject of Ali Essafi's documentary Before the Dying of the Light. Love in Casablanca, starring Abdelkarim Derqaoui and Muna Fettou, is one of the first Moroccan films to deal with Morocco's complex realities and to depict life in Casablanca with verisimilitude. Nour-Eddine Lakhmari's Casanegra depicts the harsh realities of Casablanca's working classes. The films Ali Zaoua, Horses of God, and Razzia of Nabil Ayouch, a French director of Moroccan heritage, deal with street crime, terrorism and social issues in Casablanca, respectively. The events in Meryem Benm'Barek-Aloïsi's 2018 film Sofia revolve around an illegitimate pregnancy in Casablanca. Ahmed El Maanouni, Hicham Lasri and Said Naciri are also from Casablanca.
The Economic Engine and Future
The Grand Casablanca region is considered the locomotive of the development of the Moroccan economy. It attracts 32% of the country's production units and 56% of industrial labor. The region uses 30% of the national electricity production. With MAD 93 billion, the region contributes to 44% of the industrial production of the kingdom. About 33% of national industrial exports, MAD 27 billion, comes from the Grand Casablanca; 30% of the Moroccan banking network is concentrated in Casablanca. One of the most important exports of Casablanca is phosphate. Other industries include fishing, fish canning, sawmills, furniture production, building materials, glass, textiles, electronics, leather work, processed food, spirits, soft drinks, and cigarettes. The Casablanca and Mohammedia seaports activity represent 50% of the international commercial flows of Morocco. Almost the entire Casablanca waterfront is under development, mainly the construction of huge entertainment centres between the port and Hassan II Mosque, the Anfa Resort project near the business, entertainment and living centre of Megarama, the shopping and entertainment complex of Morocco Mall, as well as a complete renovation of the coastal walkway. The Sindbad park was also renewed with rides, games and entertainment services. Casablanca is a significant financial centre, ranking 54th globally in the September 2023 Global Financial Centres Index rankings, between Brussels and Rome. The Casablanca Stock Exchange is Africa's third-largest in terms of market capitalization, as of December 2022. Royal Air Maroc has its head office at the previous Casablanca-Anfa Airport location. In 2004, it announced that it was moving its head office from Casablanca to a location in Province of Nouaceur, close to Mohammed V International Airport. The agreement to build the head office in Nouaceur was signed in 2009 but was never implemented. A 2019 paper published in PLOS One estimated that under Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5, a moderate scenario of climate change where global warming reaches approximately 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2100, the climate of Casablanca in the year 2050 would most closely resemble the current climate of Tripoli, Libya. The annual temperature would increase by 1.5 degrees Celsius, and the temperature of the warmest month by 2 degrees Celsius, while the temperature of the coldest month would actually decrease by 0.5 degrees Celsius. Moreover, according to the 2022 IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, Casablanca is one of 12 major African cities which would be the most severely affected by future sea level rise. It estimates that they would collectively sustain cumulative damages of US$65 billion under RCP 4.5 and US$86.5 billion for the high-emission scenario RCP 8.5 by the year 2050. Additionally, RCP 8.5 combined with the hypothetical impact from marine ice sheet instability at high levels of warming would involve up to US$137.5 billion in damages, while the additional accounting for the low-probability, high-damage events may increase aggregate risks to US$187 billion for the moderate RCP4.5, US$206 billion for RCP8.5 and US$397 billion under the high-end ice sheet instability scenario. Since sea level rise would continue for about 10,000 years under every scenario of climate change, future costs of sea level rise would only increase, especially without adaptation measures.