13 January: Casablanca

On this date in 1943, British prime minister Winston Churchill arrived in Casablanca for a war summit. 10 facts about Casablanca:

1. It’s the largest city in Morocco and its chief port. The urban area has a population of about 3.2 million.

2. It is located on the Atlantic coast of the Chaouia plains in central-western Morocco.

3. It’s different from other large cities in that it doesn’t have a river running through it. The nearest river is Oum Rabia, 70 km (43.50 miles) away. There is a small seasonal creek called oued Bouskoura. This used to flow to the ocean but most of it has been covered by the growth of the city and only a small part of it is visible.

4. The first settlement at what is now Casablanca was a Berber village called Anfa, which pirates used as a base from which to attack Christian ships. This settlement was destroyed by the Portuguese in 1468. They came back in 1515 and built a new town called Casa Branca, which translates as “White House”.

5. An earthquake in 1755 devastated the area, but in the late 18^th century it was rebuilt by sultan Sīdī Muhammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh who renamed it "ad-Dār al-Bayḍā” which is ‘White House” in Arabic. The modern western name Casablanca is Spanish and dates from the time when it was part of a trade route from Spain.

6. Casablanca’s main tourist attraction is The Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest mosques in Africa, and indeed, the world.

7. Aside from the coast, the only natural attraction is the Bouskoura forest, although since it was planted in the 20^th century, is that truly natural? The forest consists mostly of eucalyptus, palm, and pine trees.

8. Churchill’s visit in 1943 was for the Anfa Conference (also called the Casablanca Conference) in which he met with US President Franklin D Roosevelt to discuss the progress of the war. French generals Charles de Gaulle and Henri Giraud also attended, mainly as observers.

9. Casablanca is twinned with: Bordeaux, France; Busan, South Korea; Chicago, United States; Dakar, Senegal; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Jakarta, Indonesia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Muscat, Oman; Nouadhibou, Mauritania and Shanghai, China.

10. The 1942 American film Casablanca wasn’t filmed there, but in the United States. However, it had a lasting effect on the city’s image. There is a Rick’s Cafe in the city, which was inspired by the movie and opened in 2004.

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