Casablanca '42 — Expose the Spy Ring

Your investigation begins at Rick's Cafe, a faithful reproduction of the cafe from the film Casablanca (1942), opened in 2004 by American Kathy Kriger. Located on Place du Jardin Public, this spot is directly inspired by Julius J. Epstein's script for Warner Bros. The interior, with its 1935 Pleyel piano, evokes the character of Sam played by Dooley Wilson. The neo-Moorish facade, rebuilt on the approximate location of the fictional cafe, immediately puts you in the mood for the intrigues and secret rendezvous of Casablanca at the time. Place du Jardin Public, laid out in 1915 by French architect Marius Boyer, with its phoenix date palms planted around 1925 and its central Carrara marble fountain from 1918, is the ideal setting for your first steps as a secret agent in this historic city of Casablanca-Settat.

Continue your pursuit towards Place des Alaouites, created in 1922 by Henri Prost, urban planner for Casablanca's 1915 beautification plan. This square, the gateway to the European quarter, is surrounded by Art Deco mansions from the 1920s, whose facades might conceal coded messages. In its center, the equestrian statue of Sultan Moulay Youssef (1882-1927), inaugurated in 1926 and 4.5 meters high, dominates the landscape. Every architectural detail of these buildings plunges you into the colonial atmosphere and geopolitical stakes that preceded the Anfa Conference 1943. The former French Consulate and the Maret Building, located nearby, are passing points where crucial clues could be hidden, revealing the movements of your suspects in this Casablanca under protectorate.

The Central Market of Casablanca, built in 1916-1917 by French architect Alexandre Moreau in a Neo-Art Nouveau style, is your next stop. With its covered area of 12,000 m² and 1,200 stalls spread over two levels under steel glass roofs, it's a place conducive to clandestine meetings and information exchanges. This market was even visited by General Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1943 during the Anfa conference, highlighting its strategic importance. Amidst the hustle and bustle of merchants and passersby, you'll need to decipher the visual and auditory clues that your augmented reality app will reveal, to identify your targets' next meeting point. Bab Marrakech, an old city gate, can serve as a landmark for your observations.

Your investigation then leads you to the Mahkama du Pacha, a Moorish judicial palace completed in 1942 by Moroccan architect M. Drissi. This historic monument, with its 600 rooms across 5 floors and 3,500 m² of sculpted zellige and stucco decor, served as the Pacha's court until 1956. Classified as a historical monument in 1986, it represents a place of power and secrets. The labyrinthine corridors and ornate rooms of the Mahkama du Pacha are the ideal setting for a virtual confrontation with your suspects, where every architectural detail could hide an essential clue to solving the case. The grandeur of the edifice testifies to Casablanca's importance in the protectorate's administration.

The climax of your mission awaits you at Place Mohammed V, inaugurated in 1925 and the colonial administrative heart designed by Henri Prost. This 5-hectare square houses the Sacré-Cœur Cathedral, built in 1930 and deconsecrated in 1956, 28 meters high with its Moorish stained-glass windows. The 1934 Clock Tower, 50 meters high and modeled after London's Eurostar tower, dominates the square. It is here, in the heart of Casablanca's monumental architecture, that you will thwart the spies' plans and secure vital information for the Allies. This tour will have introduced you to the Mahkama du Pacha Historic Monument, the Central Market, and the entire Art Deco Heritage of Casablanca, offering you a total immersion in the city's history and the Anfa Conference 1943.