Casablanca
Casablanca is Morocco's largest city by far. It lies on the Atlantic coast, some 80 km southeast of Rabat. The city's history dates back many centuries and the Portuguese colonized it in the 1500's. They left in 1755 and the city started declining. In the mid-1880's, when the French arrived it was an insignificant spot on the map. But General Lyautey, who was the first French administrator, decided that Casablanca was to be the administrative center of the protectorate. Under his command wide boulevards and lush public parks with fountains were constructed. Civic buildings were erected in Mauresque (Moorish) style, while the resident areas were filled with medium high-rise. Most of all this glamour is still in place nowadays. Casablanca is certainly Morocco's most flashy and liberal city. Most locals refer to is as 'Casa'.
The ancient quarter of Casablanca is situated around the medina. It is not as interesting as the ones in many other Moroccan cities, but it is still worth a visit. The best examples of Mauresque architecture can be found in the ville nouvelle, centered on the Place Mohammed V (Place des Nations Unies).
On the shoreline is the Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world, with an enormous minaret. The mosque was built in the 1990's. There are several beaches west of the mosque, along Boulevard de la Corniche, but they are not all that special.
Accommodation is widely available in Casablanca. There are numerous restaurants, bars and nightclubs all over town, but most of them are quite expensive. The CTM bus terminal is on Rue Vidal and there are many local bus stations scattered throughout the city. There are two railway stations in town; Gare du Port (Casa-Port) and Casa-Voyageurs, which has more departures. The nearest airport is Mohammed V International Airport in Rabat. Taxis are easily found all around Casablanca, but negotiate the fare before getting in.