Hassan II Mosque on the Atlantic coast
As you may know, our article series Streets and Squares was created to provide some interesting background information on street signs around the world. It is a fun way to learn about the history and culture of the cities you visit or even live in!
This time we will visit Casablanca, the largest city of Morocco. Not the capital though for that is Rabat. Located on the Atlantic coast, it is the eighth-largest city in the Arab world. For most of us, it is known from the 1942 film Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid (check the video below) and with the memorable film score As Time Goes By by Herman Hupfeld.
As always in Streets & Squares, clicking at the address will lead you to the location in Google Maps, and clicking at the person’s name will take you to his or her Wikipedia page.
AVENUE MEHDI BEN BARKA - Mehdi Ben Barka (1920-1965) was nationalist politician who disappeared in Paris in 1965. Born in Rabat, Morocco.
BOULEVARD MODIBO KEITA - Modibo KeÏta (1915-1977) was the Prime Minister of the Mali Federation, the first President of Mali and as such peace negotiator between Morocco and Algeria in 1963. Born in Bamako Coura, Upper Senegal and Niger.
BOULEVARD MOHAMMED V - Mohammed V of Morocco (1909-1961) was first the Sultan of Morocco, and from 1957 the King. Born in Fes, Morocco.
BOULEVARD RAHAL EL MESKINI - Rahal Meskini (1926-1956) was a Moroccan resistance fighter against French colonialism. Born in Beni Meskine.
PARC MURDOCH - named for the British merchant Murdoch, the park is the second lung of the Casablanca city center after the Arab League Park. Also called Parc Isesco.
RUE ABOU SOUFIANE - Abu Sufyan ibn Harb (c.565-c.653) merchant who early in his career led trade caravans to Syria. Father-in-law of profet Muhammad. Born in Mecca, Arabia.
RUE IBN HAMDISSE - Ibn Hamdis (1056-1133) was a Sicilian Arab poet, born in Syracuse, Sicily. He lived for years also in Northern Africa.
RUE IBNOU TOUFAIL - Ibn Tufail (1105-1185) was an Arab Andalusian Muslim polymath, Islamic philosopher and astronomer. Born in Guadix, Andalusia, Almoravid Dynasty.
RUE IMAM AL BOUKHARI - Mouhammad al-Boukhari (810-870) was an Imam and prolific writer. Born in Boukhara, Persia.
RUE MADAME DE SÉVIGNÉ - Marie de Rabutin-Chantal (1626-1696) a.k.a. Madame de Sévigné. was a writer of letters, and revered as an icon of French 17th-century literature. Born in Paris, France.
RUE PAUL VALÉRY - Paul Valéry (1871-1945) was a French poet, essayist and philosopher who was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 12 different years without winning it. Born in Cette, Hérault, France.
RUE SOLTAN ABDELHAMID - Abdul Hamid II (1842-1918) was the 34th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire who encouraged Pan-Islamism, telling Muslims living under European powers to unite into one polity. Born in Topkapi Palace, Constantinople, Ottoman Empire.
A to Z FROM CASABLANCA
i.e. a list of people born in Casablanca. Just another fun way to know something more about the city. We pick a couple of people for each alphabet, if possible. The numbers you see at the end of each line indicate the year of birth. This list is updated from time to time. And last but not least: the flag of Casablanca!
B - Frida Boccara* French singer of Italian descent (1940) - Dounia Batma* singer (1991)
E - Alber Elbaz* Israeli fashion designer (1961) - Nawal El Moutawakel* hurdler/OG (1962) - Gad Elmaleh* Moroccan-Canadian stand-up comedian/actor (1971)
O - Maurice Ohana* French composer (1913)
R - Jean Reno* French actor (1948)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEWaqUVac3M
Updated 2.9.2022
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Streets_in_Casablanca