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The city was demolished and rebuilt many times!
1) 12th century: The Arabs removed evidence of life before them.
2) 15th century: Europe bypassed Northern Africa to get to the riches of West Africa but fought over the coast for the right to own the ports. In 1468, the Portuguese completely destroyed the city.
3) 18th century: An earthquake destroyed it again.
The Hussan II Mosque is immense and stunning! Fitting 25, 000 worshippers, it is the second largest mosque in Africa. It hires and trains students of the traditional crafts to keep the skills alive and to give them work. In addition, it is a showpiece of the strength and beauty of Morocco.
We enjoyed a Fulbright networking lunch at the MACECE (Moroccan-American Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange) headquarters in a beautiful suburb of Casablanca.
Cats everywhere!!
19th century: a hybrid medina (newer) was built as a market. Today, the city continues to rebuild and modernize.
We had knowledgeable guides through the mosque and also through the old town who were instrumental in giving us a better view of the city and a better understanding of what we were seeing.
The tower (above) was rebuilt to look like the original.
Found this museum in a historic home with this amazing staircase!
Party bus! The lights were pretty cool!
We had a little time to explore on our own. The taxis proved to be an interesting cultural adventure as some taxi drivers were talkative, some had posh interiors, and all got us through the city without any accidents which is miraculous!
And, of course, there was more shopping....!
Meriem (left center) translated for the artist (in beret) who taught us-- in French--the basics of pottery. When I said I'm not good at 3D modeling, I was scolded by the teachers in the room to have a growth mindset!
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