WHERE ART DECO MEETS THE ATLANTIC
Casablanca wears its history on its skyline, where Moroccan tradition meets Art Deco flair and modern ambition. With nonstop flights operated by Royal Air Maroc from Washington Dulles to Casablanca, exploring the region is highly convenient.
Unlike the ancient medinas of Fez and Marrakech, Casablanca largely came of age in the 20th century, when its rapidly expanding port became a testing ground for bold new architectural ideas. Architects and planners working during the French Protectorate transformed the growing metropolis into a showcase of Art Deco, modernism and a hybrid style known as Mauresque, which combines European design with traditional Moroccan elements.
GETTING THERE
Royal Air Maroc offers nonstop service from Washington Dulles International Airport( IAD) to Casablanca’ s Mohammed V International Airport( CMN) three to four times a week, increasing to daily service in July and August.
Hassan II Mosque
Credit: Getty Images
For Casablanca-based architect Tarik Oualalou, the best way to understand that evolution is on foot.“ I would start at the historical harbor in front of the old medina at La Sqala, where the city started,” he says. From there, Oualalou recommends walking through the medina and emerging at Bab Marrakech near the clock tower before continuing along Boulevard Mohammed V.
The route becomes a journey through Casablanca’ s architectural coming of age. Oualalou points to early 20th-century landmarks such as the Lévy-Bendayan building as part of what he calls Casablanca’ s“ incredible architectural trajectory.”
Along the way, geometric Art Deco facades mingle with horseshoe arches, arcades, and carved ornament inspired by Morocco’ s Islamic and Andalusian traditions. Look closely, and you may also spot zellige— hand-cut glazed tiles fitted together into intricate geometric mosaics, a centuries-old Moroccan craft used to decorate walls, floors, fountains, and courtyards.
Eventually, Oualalou’ s walk reaches the Marché Central and its fish market. Across Boulevard Mohammed V stands the historic Hôtel Lincoln, a longneglected Casablanca landmark that Oualalou’ s architecture firm helped restore.“ We are proud to have restored [ it ] recently,” he says.
Elsewhere, Quartier Habous offers another interpretation of Casablanca’ s architectural identity. Though its shaded arcades, narrow lanes and horseshoe arches evoke an ancient medina, the neighborhood was designed in the 20th century, combining traditional Moroccan forms with modern urban planning. Its orderly streets and squares are filled with cafes and shops selling books, spices, handicrafts, rugs, and more.
CASABLANCA’ S MODERN MASTERPIECE
The Hassan II Mosque is unparalleled. Finished in 1993, it rises dramatically above the Atlantic coast, with a nearly 700-foot minaret visible throughout the city. Approach across the plaza, and the mosque appears to rise from the ocean itself. It is monumental in scale but remarkably detailed up close.
Some 10,000 Moroccan artisans played a role in the project, transforming traditional craftsmanship into monumental architecture. Geometric zellige mosaics, hand-carved stone and plaster, polished marble and intricately worked cedar appear throughout the complex. Inside the vast prayer hall, enormous chandeliers hang overhead while a retractable roof can open to sunlight and Atlantic air. Like the city around it, it is unmistakably modern yet draws deeply on Moroccan artistic traditions.
GO BEYOND: FEZ
To explore the traditions that influenced Casablanca’ s architecture, continue to Fez. Its UNESCO-listed Fes el-Bali medina is a maze of narrow streets, intricate madrasas and lively souks. At the historic Chouara Tannery, visitors can watch hides being processed and dyed in stone vats using centuries-old techniques.
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
AUTUMN / WINTER 2026 19 FLYWASHINGTON. COM