The medina of Casablanca is the oldest part of the city, dating back to before the French protectorate. Two of the original gates of the old city walls still survive. Other attractions include an 18th-century fortress, a jewellery market, and the tomb of Sidi Allal el-Kairouani, who became the city’s patron saint in 1350. The medina has not always been the safest part of the city to walk around, but today its mix of Moorish and Portuguese architecture is compelling, as is the fragment of traditional life that survives here. You’ll pass children playing football, stalls piled high with fruit and vegetables, cafes serving mint tea, and little shops of every description. In some ways, this is the most Moroccan-feeling part of Casablanca.
