The Cathedral (Casablanca)


One of the beautiful and majestic buildings in Casablanca is the snow-white Cathedral of Casablanca Cathedral, which is now the cultural and entertainment center of the city.

History of the Cathedral

The cathedral of Casablanca was built in the 30s of the XX century. According to the plan of the builders, Casablanca Cathedral was to become the main church of Catholics in the city. The Catholic community was very numerous and powerful at the time. During the construction of the cathedral, almost the whole territory of Morocco was under French influence. Therefore, French architect Paul Tournon, who was at that time the winner of the Rome Prize and the author of many structures in France, was chosen to design the building project.

In 1956, when Morocco became an independent state, the Casablanca Cathedral building was transferred to local authorities. Since that time, the cathedral has ceased to be functioning, for several years it functioned as a school, and then it was used for various cultural and entertainment events, for example, exhibitions, fashion shows and music festivals .

What interesting things can you see in the cathedral?

Casablanca Cathedral was built in the Neo-Gothic style, its architecture clearly traces the traditional Moroccan features.

The facade of the cathedral is decorated with openwork carvings and arches, reminiscent of the arches of Moroccan mosques. At the same time, over the facade, you can also see 2 towers, similar to the Muslim minarets and buildings of the architectural direction of Art Deco. Inside, tourists will certainly be attracted by colored stained-glass windows in the altar part of the cathedral, decorated with geometric ornaments. Stained glass windows and small narrow windows of the Casablanca Cathedral are also oriental features in the design of the Casablanca cathedral.

In addition to viewing the interior of the building, tourists can climb the stairs to one of the towers of the Cathedral and see all the beauty of the city and the surroundings of Casablanca.

In recent years, various art exhibitions have been held in Casablanca Cathedral, where you can see a lot of antique, antique pieces of furniture, paintings, musical instruments and sculptures. It sells collectible stamps, coins and postcards, ancient photographs with views of the cities of Morocco in the XX century - excellent souvenirs from the travel around the country.

How to get there?

The cathedral of Casablanca, also called the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (كاتدرائية القلب المقدس), is located in the northwest of the largest park of the League of Arab States (Parque de la Liga Arab) in Morocco. To visit Casablanca Cathedral, you need to arrive at the international airport of Casablanca, bearing the name of Sultan Mohammed V (Mohammed V International Airport). It is located 30 km southeast of the city.

You can get to the center of Casablanca by taxi, train or bus. If you follow public transport , then in the city center you will need to change to a tram and get off at Station Tramway Place Mohamed V. Here begins the park of the League of Arab States, where the cathedral of Casablanca is located. You can get to the cathedral by taxi from any place convenient for you, it's worth to agree on the cost of the trip in advance.