Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
under the Barghawata, a confederation of Berber tribes. The Almohads destroyed it in
1188, and 70 years later, the Merenids took over.
In the early 15th century, the port became a safe haven for pirates and racketeers. Anfa
pirates became such a serious threat later in the century that the Portuguese sent 50 ships
and 10,000 men to subdue them. They left Anfa in a state of ruins. The local tribes,
however, continued to terrorise the trade routes, provoking a second attack by the Por-
tuguese in 1515. Sixty years later the Portuguese arrived to stay, erecting fortifications and
renaming the port Casa Branca (White House).
The Portuguese abandoned the colony in 1755 after a devastating earthquake destroyed
Lisbon and severely damaged the walls of Casa Branca. Sultan Sidi Mohammed ben Ab-
dullah subsequently resettled and fortified the town, but it never regained its former im-
portance. By 1830 it had only around 600 inhabitants.
By the mid-1800s Europe was booming and turned to Morocco for increased supplies
of grain and wool. The fertile plains around Casablanca were soon supplying European
markets, and agents and traders flocked back to the city. Spanish merchants renamed the
city Casablanca and by the beginning of the 20th century the French had secured permis-
sion to build an artificial harbour.
Increased trade brought prosperity to the region, but the activities and influence of the
Europeans also caused resentment. Violence erupted in 1907 when Europeans desecrated
a Muslim cemetery. The pro-colonialist French jumped at the chance to send troops to
quell the dispute; a French warship and a company of marines soon arrived and bom-
barded the town. By 1912 it was part of the new French protectorate.
