The Art Deco Centre of Casablanca

Casablanca was rebuilt at speed in the first half of the twentieth century, and the result is one of the largest concentrations of art deco architecture anywhere: several hundred buildings in a walkable grid, put up between roughly 1918 and 1940. The local variant mixes deco geometry with Moroccan detail, so you get stepped facades and curved balconies alongside zellij panels, carved plaster and horseshoe arches. The Rialto cinema still operates, the covered arcades off Boulevard Mohammed V still have their original shopfronts and terrazzo, and stair halls behind unmarked doors hold wrought iron and tiled floors. Much of it is unrestored and lived in, with laundry on the balconies and shutters missing, which is either the charm of the place or its problem depending on what you came for.

What you actually see

• Boulevard Mohammed V - the main deco spine, with arcades and shopfronts.
• The Rialto cinema - a 1930s picture house still showing films.
• The arcades - covered passages with original terrazzo, glass and ironwork.
• The stair halls - tiled floors and wrought iron behind ordinary street doors.

When to go

Weekday mornings, when the arcades and shops are open and the light is on the eastern facades; Sundays are dead and many passages are shuttered. Any season works, though Casablanca is humid in summer. Guided walking tours run and are worth it, since half the interest is behind doors you will not open alone.

Honest expectations

A lot of these buildings are in poor condition, with cracked render, missing balconies and later shopfronts bolted over the originals, and some visitors find the whole district shabby rather than romantic. Interiors are private and access depends on a caretaker's goodwill. The traffic is heavy and constant, pavements are crowded, and there is no signed route, so without a plan or a guide you will walk past most of the good buildings.

Nearby

The Hassan II Mosque is a short taxi ride west; the old medina adjoins the district to the north.