Casablanca Memory Museum celebrates city’s history

A new museum that opened its doors in Casablanca last month highlights the Moroccan city’s urban and social changes from the early 20th century to present day. The Casablanca Memory Museum aims to teach visitors about the city whether through archival documents, old photographs, maps or artwork. The first exhibits visitors will see at the venue are the large stone and marble sculptures that are on show in the museum’s garden.

Casablanca Memory Museum assistant curator Hajar el-Bakkari said the museum’s current temporary exhibition focuses on the city’s urban and architectural changes. The museum is hosted in the historic Villa Carl Ficke, which was built in 1913 and is considered one of the city’s architectural landmarks from the era of the French protectorate. It was built for German merchant Carl Ficke in the neoclassical style and features arches, columns and wide windows. The building was designed by Italian architect Ulysse Tonci, one of the first people to introduce the European building style in Morocco.

A symbol of wealth when it was first built, Villa Carl Ficke has served multiple purposes over the decades including being used as a detention center, before falling into neglect. The century-old building was restored between 2016 and 2022 to strengthen its overall structure and renovate the interior.

The restoration work was carried out “carried out with a focus on respecting the original details,” el-Bakkari said. Visitor Fadila Tazi said she was very happy to spend a day touring the halls of the museum and walking through Villa Carl Ficke. “It’s simply magnificent. We’ve been hearing about this beautiful residence with its extraordinary history for a while now. It brings back so many memories,” she said. The museum which opened its doors on Feb. 27 is drawing Casablanca residents, students and researchers interested in the city’s heritage.

The museum’s founders hope it will serve as a space for research and cultural exchange, putting it on the map for tourists and students.

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