Let’s go together to explore the Corniche of Casablanca.

Casablanca has long turned its back on the ocean. Until the 18th century, the inhabitants lived in seclusion in the medina, neglecting the development of the coastline. The sea was then associated with danger, mystical legends, war and the Spanish and Portuguese conquistadors.

In 1928, the architect and urban planner Albert Laprade proposed the development of the southern coastline of Casablanca into a gigantic complex dedicated to seaside activities. Dotted with rocks, the coast is nevertheless known to be hostile and dangerous for swimming, but beaches, seawater pools and nautical clubs are soon built. The coastline is renamed "La Corniche". Access roads to this new district are built, the dunes are wooded, the avenues are planted with palm trees.

The Corniche becomes the symbol ofa lifestyle focused on the ocean, sport and the cult of the body. Festive facilities are set up (cafes, restaurants, cabarets, etc.) to meet the needs of an ever-increasing population, in search of relaxation and leisure. The coast becomes one of the nerve centers of the city, frequented by bourgeois European, Jewish and Muslim families.

Today, from Morocco Mall, the largest shopping center in Africa, to the Hassan II Mosque, the largest in the country and one of the largest in the world, Casablanca is today reconciled with its seaside. Beaches, marabouts, swimming pools, mosques and old cabarets stretch along eight kilometres. Joggers rub shoulders with party-goers, worshippers and surfers.

Let’s explore this Casablanca coast full of character with CitizOn.