HOTELHOTELHOTELBuilt by the late King Hassan II to commemorate his 60th birthday, this enormous mosque Offline map ( 0522 22 25 63;
guided tours adult/child/student Dh120/30/60; 9am, 10am, 11am & 2pm Sat-Thu, 9am, 10am & 2pm Fri) was funded by
public subscription. It was completed in 1993 and provides Casablanca with an important landmark. A new Islamic media
centre and library (admission free; 8am-6pm Mon-Fri) can be found in the grounds.
Designed by French architect Michel Pinseau the mosque rises above the ocean on a rocky outcrop reclaimed from the
sea, echoing the verse from the Quran that states that God’s throne was built upon the water. The 210m-high minaret, the
tallest building in the country, is topped by a spectacular laser beam that shines towards Mecca. It is the world’s third-largest
mosque, accommodating 25,000 worshippers inside, and a further 80,000 in the courtyards and squares around it. Believers
can enjoy praying on a centrally heated floor, seeing the Atlantic washing the rocks underneath the glass floor in the basement
and feel the sunlight through the retractable roof.
Above all, the vast size and elaborate decoration of the prayer hall is most striking. Large enough to house Paris’ Notre
Dame or Rome’s St Peter’s, it is blanketed in astonishing woodcarving, zellij (tilework) and stucco moulding. A team of over
6000 master craftsmen was assembled to work on the mosque, delicately carving intricate patterns and designs in cedar from
the Middle Atlas, marble from Agadir and granite from Tafraoute.
To see the interior visitors must be ‘decently and respectfully dressed’ and, once inside, will be asked to remove their shoes.
Hour-long tours are conducted in French, English, German and Spanish, and take in the prayer hall, the ablutions rooms and
the hammam.Casablanca’s budget hotels are pretty basic. The medina hotels are invariably grotty and
overpriced and don’t offer good value compared with their ville-nouvelle counterparts.
Casablanca has a good selection of midrange accommodation scattered around the city centre.
You’ll also find some nice alternatives with ocean views and easy access to the beach along
Blvd de la Corniche. Casablanca has a glut of top-end hotels, with all the major international
chains represented in town. Most are along Ave des FAR, with a few others along the Blvd de
la Corniche. For something less generic try one of the following.
Hôtel Guynemer €
Offline map Google map ( 0522 27 57 64; www.guynemerhotel.com; 2 Rue Mohammed
Belloul; s/d/tr Dh372/538/626; ) Readers recommend the friendly and super-efficient,
family-run Guynemer, in a gorgeous Mauresque building. The 29 well-appointed and regularly
updated rooms are tastefully decked out in cheerful colours. Flat-screen TVs, wi-fi access and
firm, comfortable beds make them a steal at these rates and the service is way above
average: staff will happily run out to get anything you need. There’s an airport pick-up service
(Dh400) and city tours. There is also an interactive info post in the lobby, a dedicated PC for
guest use and a phone to call the USA and Canada free, though these services don’t always
work. The hotel also rents out two contemporary, fully equipped flats on the same street, which
are ideal for longer stays and for families.
Hôtel Astrid €
Offline map Google map ( 0522 27 78 03; [email protected]; 12 Rue 6 Novembre; s/d/trDh324/386/486; ) Tucked away on a quiet street south of the centre, the Astrid offers the
most elusive element of Casa’s budget hotels – a good night’s sleep. There’s little traffic noise
here and the spacious, well-kept rooms are all en suite, with TV, telephone and frilly decor.
There’s a friendly cafe downstairs and wi-fi in the lobby.