First sight of Casablanca

Casablanca is famous for the movie "Casablanca" of the same name. The city itself is the largest city in Morocco, the largest and most important port in North Africa, and one of the most important cities in Africa in terms of economy and population. Casablanca's original meaning is "White House" in Spanish. It is an Islamic city, and the most obvious scenery is the mosque in the city. In addition, it is quite close to Europe, and the influence of Europe can be seen everywhere. Most of the buildings in the entire city are white, and even the houses of many Arab fishermen are white against the background of brown cliffs, which complement the vast blue Atlantic Ocean and create a unique style.

Recently, my Spanish colleagues and I took a trip to Casablanca, departing from Madrid, Spain, to this legendary and famous city in North Africa. This is my first time to North Africa and my first time to Morocco. The first time I went to North Africa, I was filled with freshness. Although it is Africa, it is different from East Africa, West Africa and South Africa. Most of the people here are white. Maybe it is relatively close to Europe, so many of the habits here are similar to Europe; The main belief here is Islam and it belongs to the Arab world. However, it is far away from the Middle East, so there are fewer disputes and more peace.

It’s winter in Bilbao, Spain, and the temperature is around freezing; but Casablanca has a typical Mediterranean climate, with daytime temperatures around 15°C. After we arrived at the hotel, our friends took us to a nearby tavern for a late-night snack. The living habits here are very similar to those in Europe. People like to eat beef and olives, drink beer, etc. The difference is that the staple food here is naan, which is a favorite food in the Islamic world. Plant pie.

The next morning, we had breakfast at the hotel, and then when we came out, we saw clearly the entirety of our hotel. It was an all-white modern building; like many nearby buildings, it was all white. However, over time, many floors begin to turn yellow or even peel. Because many buildings have no exterior decoration, they just have white paint on the exterior walls, and the quality is very average.

First, I visited the nearby wholesale market and bought some supplies. Although this is an Islamic world, because it is very close to Europe, many young women appear to be relatively secular. Islamic civilization and Christian civilization can be seen everywhere and are organically intertwined.

After that, we came to the largest mosque in Casablanca, the Hassan II Grand Mosque; this is also the largest mosque in Africa and also enjoys a lofty status in the Islamic world. However, unfortunately, the mosque was closed for maintenance today. Many foreign tourists, like us, feel very sorry, but they still take photos and check in outside. Since Morocco is visa-free for China, there have been many Chinese tourists in recent years, and the Chinese people we met greeted us in a friendly manner.

It was our first day in Casablanca and it was great. I feel a different African world. Although it is Africa, the European continent is close at hand; here Arabic, French and Spanish are mixed together and cultures intersect. There is a conservative culture here, but it is also full of modern flavor. You can see old women in black robes, and you can see girls in open clothes everywhere; this is an ancient continent, and construction sites can be seen everywhere, showing the rapid economic development. This place is full of sunshine and hope. Our team decided to take root here, look for business opportunities, and develop a new world.