Habous Quarter

The Habous quarter, often called the new medina, is one of the most pleasant places to wander in Casablanca. It was planned from the late 1910s, early in the French protectorate, by Henri Prost and his team as a new district for Moroccan residents and families arriving from across the country, and building continued into the 1950s. The land was given by Haïm Bendahan, a Moroccan Jewish financier, and because of the way the gift was made it came to be managed by the religious endowments administration, the Habous, which gave the quarter its name and whose ministry is still based here.

Architects such as Auguste Cadet and Edmond Brion designed the area to follow modern planning rules while keeping the forms of a traditional medina, so you find neat arcaded streets, small squares, whitewashed walls and carved doorways, but with a regularity that the old medina never had. Look out for the Mosque of Sultan Mohammed ben Youssef, built by Cadet in the 1930s, the Mosque of Moulay Youssef, and the Mahkama du Pacha, the grand courthouse and former residence of the pasha built during the Second World War.

The shaded arcades are full of shops and stalls selling rugs, hammered copper, colourful ceramics, carved wood, leather goods and traditional clothing, and the quarter is also known for bookshops run by major Moroccan and Arab publishers. Bargaining is normal in the craft shops, but the atmosphere is calmer than in the souks of Marrakech or Fez, which makes it a good place to shop if you dislike pressure. Small cafés offer mint tea and a pause between browsing, and there are several hammams in the area.

The quarter suits almost every type of traveller: shoppers, photographers, families and anyone wanting a feel of traditional Moroccan urban life without the intensity of an old medina. Allow between one and two hours. Mornings and late afternoons are pleasant times to walk. Dress modestly, as this is a residential and religious district.

The Habous is a short taxi ride south-east of the city centre, and several city bus lines stop nearby. The Royal Palace stands beside the quarter; it is not open to the public, but its walls and gates can be seen from outside. Include Dar Al Ala, the small museum of Andalusian music, in your walk, and leave time for a pastry before you head back.