Habous
The Vibe
Orderly charm without medina mayhem—families stroll wide passages while shopkeepers offer tea without aggressive haggling. The atmosphere feels gentler than Marrakech's souks, designed for browsing rather than battle. Scents of orange blossom water and almond pastries drift from patisseries. You'll encounter well-dressed locals selecting weekend sweets, French-speaking guides with small tour groups, and craftsmen genuinely invested in their wares. The Royal Palace guards add ceremonial gravitas. Arrive Sunday mornings for the freshest pastries when locals shop. Unlike tourist-trap medinas, prices stay reasonable and interactions remain courteous—this is where Casablancais actually shop.
Description
Casablanca's planned medina, under French urban planner Henri Prost, represents an extraordinary architectural experiment—traditional Moroccan urbanism reimagined through colonial rationality. Built to relocate merchants from the old medina, Habous (also called Quartier Habous or New Medina) features wide, orthogonal streets unusual for medina layout, while maintaining authentic riads, arched doorways, and zellige tilework. The Royal Palace sits at its heart, built for receiving dignitaries. Unlike chaotic ancient medinas, these souks follow orderly patterns where specific streets specialize in copper work, leather babouches, or spices. The district became a model for French Protectorate-era urban planning—respecting Moroccan aesthetics while imposing European order. Sunday afternoons draw Casablancais families for pastry shopping and leisurely promenades through its shaded arcades.
Neighborhood Stats
Popular With
- Tourists
- Locals
- Explorers
Key Attributes
- Cultural
- Local
- Authentic
Food Scene
Pâtisserie Bennis Habous (2 Rue Fkih El Gabbas) has perfected Moroccan pastries since 1930—their cornes de gazelle and chebakia draw devoted locals. Chez les Soeurs serves home-style Moroccan cooking in a modest setting near the mosque. The neighborhood specializes in traditional patisseries rather than restaurants; locals buy m'hanncha (almond-filled serpent pastries), sellou, and ghriba cookies to take home. Small cafés around Place du Marché Habous offer mint tea and msemen. For substantial meals, most visitors taxi to nearby Ain Diab or the Corniche, as Habous functions primarily as Casablanca's premier destination for authentic Moroccan sweets and weekend pastry shopping rather than dining out.