Casablanca through the centuries
Casablanca is now a modern global city, but the history of the site goes far beyond today's skyline. To understand Casablanca's architecture, you need to look at the city's layers: Anfa, the Portuguese period, the 18th-century rebuilding and the major urban expansion of the 20th century. This layered history is exactly what makes Casablanca so architecturally compelling.
Where does the name Casablanca come from
Before modern Casablanca, the site was associated with the settlement of Anfa. Later, the Portuguese used the name Casa Branca (“White House”). Over time, Casablanca became the internationally used name, while in Arabic the city came to be known as ad-Dar al-Bayda, a meaning-related equivalent.
The city's name therefore reflects foreign influence, trade and rebuilding across different periods. Casablanca is not just a modern label, but a historical trace of successive urban eras.
History of the city and when Casablanca was built
The exact earliest origin is not fully fixed, but the site of present-day Casablanca was home to the Amazigh/Berber settlement of Anfa in the medieval period. In the 15th century the site was heavily affected in conflicts involving the Portuguese, followed by a Portuguese refoundation under the name Casa Branca.
After the devastating 1755 earthquake, the place was abandoned and later rebuilt in the 18th century under Moroccan rule. However, the Casablanca we recognize as a major metropolis today is mainly a product of the 19th and especially the 20th century, when port development, trade and modern urban planning drove rapid growth.
Why Casablanca's architecture is so distinctive
Casablanca is one of North Africa's most fascinating architecture cities because multiple styles coexist here. You can find traditional Moroccan influences, neo-Moorish elements, art deco, modernist buildings and contemporary towers. Instead of a single uniform style, Casablanca developed an urban identity shaped by contrasts and transition periods.
This is especially visible in the city center, where street layouts, squares, facades and public buildings reveal how urban planning, colonial-era design, local craft traditions and modern architecture influenced one another.
Famous landmarks in Casablanca
Hassan II Mosque
The Hassan II Mosque is undoubtedly Casablanca's best-known monument. Its Atlantic seafront location, monumental scale and combination of modern engineering with traditional Moroccan craftsmanship make it an icon of the city. The building connects religious meaning with national representation and remains one of Morocco's most recognizable landmarks.
Art deco and modernist buildings in the center
Many visitors first associate Casablanca with business and traffic, but architecture enthusiasts come for the urban ensembles in the city center. There, residential and office buildings feature art deco influences, modernist lines, geometric facades, balconies, arcades and decorative details that define the city's identity.
These are not just isolated buildings; together they form an urban whole that sets Casablanca apart from many other Moroccan cities. The story is about architecture and urbanism together, not only individual monuments.
Historic and civic structures
Beyond religious and residential architecture, Casablanca also includes important civic buildings, administrative structures, station areas, market environments and public spaces that reflect the city's growth. These places show how Casablanca developed into a commercial and port metropolis with a functional urban core.
Casablanca and UNESCO what is the status
Casablanca is often mentioned in heritage discussions because of its 20th-century architecture and urban planning. An important distinction: the city center is on UNESCO's Tentative List as a 20th-century city and crossroads of influences. This recognizes its heritage value as a candidate, but it is not the same as final inscription on the World Heritage List.
This status highlights Casablanca's importance as a laboratory of modern urban design where European and Moroccan influences come together in one large urban ensemble.
From port city to global city
Casablanca's growth is closely tied to its port function, trade and infrastructure. As a result, it developed faster than many other cities in the region. Its architecture is therefore not only visually interesting, but also an economic story of growth, migration, entrepreneurship and modernization.
That makes Casablanca different from cities known mainly for a single historic medina. In Casablanca, the modern era itself has become visible heritage.
Why this history still matters today
For residents, investors, entrepreneurs and visitors, understanding Casablanca's architecture and history is more than background knowledge. District identity, real-estate value, the image of commercial zones and tourism potential are often directly linked to building style, urban planning and heritage perception.
Anyone who wants to understand Casablanca should therefore look not only at what is being built today, but also at Anfa, the rebuilding phases and the 20th-century architecture that gave the city its distinctive face.
