How a Blind Tour Guide Shows Tourists the Best of Casablanca

Over the course of many episodes of the podcast, we’ve often mentioned a certain guide based in Casablanca. He has had a lasting and indelible impact on those who have had the pleasure of meeting him. Our guests on the podcast, from Chantal to Pablo and even Ted have remarked on his knowledge, warmth and spirit.

Khalil Nejjary is his name, and when Azdean visited Casablanca and the incredible Hassan II Mosque this past summer, he finally had the chance to invite him on the podcast, in person.

If you remember his story, you'll know that not only is Khalil a fabulous guide with an encyclopedic memory, but he is also in fact blind. Today he'll tell us the story of how this happened and how he has been able to continue his career. Khalil's ability to describe in detail, from memory, the features of the mosque is just remarkable.

We met Khalil at the entrance hall to the mosque complex, where visitors can get tickets for the guided tours and visit the small museum with photos of the mosque's construction. Khalil and other guides meet their guests here, then escort them across the massive courtyard, or esplanade, to the mosque's entrance. It was during this walk that we were able to record our conversation, and Khalil talks about the mosque's architecture, the materials used and why they were chosen, and the long path from King Hassan II's initial dream of building a great mosque to its eventual completion. 

Khalil also tells us about the history of Casablanca and its influence on the world, and outlines a typical tour of the city, which would take in many of the famous and important sights. 

We've touched on Casablanca a bit throughout the podcast, but if you remember back to the episode on April 15 that was an overview of Casablanca and Rabat, one of the themes was how Morocco's biggest city is often bypassed, aside from the mosque of course!, so that travellers have more time in other locations.  

So in today's episode Khalil really gives Casablanca its due, and you'll come away with a better understanding  and appreciation for the city. 

It was truly a joy meeting up with Khalil in person, at last, and we're so happy to be able to share his insight with you. In fact, Khalil had just returned from the Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, so was quite busy at the time with family and people visiting. But he took the time to meet with us, for which we were very appreciative. 

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Transcript

AZDEAN: 1:09

Welcome to the Destination Morocco podcast, the show that takes you away to the beautiful country of Morocco. I am your host, Azdean Elmoustaquim. In each episode, we explore Moroccan culture, history, attractions and activities real and practical information coming from experienced travelers and native Moroccans like myself. And now let's go exploring. Welcome back to another amazing episode of Destination Morocco podcast. Over the course of many episodes of the podcast, we've often mentioned a certain guide based in Casablanca. He has had a lasting and incredible impact on those who have had the pleasure of meeting him. Our guests on the podcast, from Chantel to Pablo and even Ted, have remarked on his knowledge, warmth and spirit. Khalil Nejjary is is his name, and when I visited Casablanca and the incredible Hassan II Mosque this past summer, I finally had the chance to invite him to the podcast in person. If you remember his story, you will know not only is Khalil a fabulous guide with encyclopedic memory, but he's also, in fact, blind. Today he will tell us the story of how this happened and how he has been able to continue his career. Khalil's ability to describe in detail, from memory, the features of the mosque is just remarkable. We met Khalil at the entrance hall to the mosque complex, where visitors can get tickets for the guided tours and visit small museum with photos of the mosque's construction. Khalil and other guides meet their guests here, then escort them across the massive courtyard to the mosque's entrance. It was during this walk that we were able to record our conversation, where Khalil talks about the mosque's architecture, the material used and why they were chosen, and the long path from King Hassan II's initial dream of building a great mosque to its eventual completion. Khalil also tells us about the history of Casablanca and its influence on the world and outlines a typical tour of the city, which will take in many of the famous and important sites. We've touched on Casablanca a bit throughout the podcast and, if you remember back on the episode on April 15, it was an overview of Casablanca and the robot. One of the themes was how Morocco's biggest city is often bypassed aside from the mosque, of course so that travelers have more time in other locations. So in today's episode, khalil really gives Casablanca its due and you'll come away with better understanding and appreciation for the city. It was truly a joy meeting Khalil at last. In fact, khalil had just returned from the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, so he was quite busy at the time with family and friends visiting, but he took the time and met with us, which we really, really appreciate, and we're very, very grateful for that, and I hope you enjoyed the conversation with Khalil about Casablanca and Hassan II mosque, as always. Thank you for listening to our podcast. We really, really appreciate you. Thank you very much.

AZDEAN: 4:59

Welcome to another amazing episode of Destination Morocco podcast, live at the Hassan II mosque. We are very delighted to have a very special local guide with us. I've been waiting for this for a long time at least a year and a half and I'm extremely happy to finally do it in person with the local guide, who does not really need any introduction. My name is Khalil Nejjary. Welcome to Destination Morocco podcast. We're very happy to have you here with us today. I know you have a lot of arrangements and you just came back from the Hajj, so a lot of people are visiting you at your house and you made this special for us today. We're very grateful. So welcome to Destination Morocco podcast.

KHALIL: 5:40

Okay, ladies and gentlemen, you welcome to Casablanca, as my colleague Azdean he said. My name is Khalil, I am a guide here in Morocco for 35 years and I am a local guide here in Casablanca, especially for the mosque. Now we are in this plain of the big mosque Hassan II. We are going to walk around 200 meters to reach the main gate to enter to the prayer room of the big mosque Hassan II. And outside of the mosque we are going to pass by two buildings. They look identical, one on your right hand side and the other one on your left hand side, but they look identical. They were built after they finished the mosque, I see. So the building, for example, the one over there, it's the Mediatic School. Mediatic School is for the students to come after their school to brush up their lesson or to use the internet and the library with different books, I see.

KHALIL: 6:43

And the one on your right hand side, from where we buy the ticket. Next to it there is a museum with the different material we have used to build the mosque, like the cedar wood, like the mosaic, like the marble, the brass and the plaster, the stucco. All this material they were local, from Morocco. Okay, For the whole area it's about nine hectares. Nine hectares For the mosque only it's two hectares, Two hectares. So the rest it's seven hectares including the building and this plane aid. For this plane aid, we use it sometimes for pre-in, when the pre-room it's full from inside and underneath, and the display aid, it's a car parking area for 1,100 cars.

AZDEAN: 7:36

Yes, so it's really important for us and it's really important also for the audience to know your story. How did you start? How did you become a local guide at the mosque in Casablanca?

KHALIL: 7:49

Mr Khalid. Well, after my studies here in Morocco, I went for four years to London. I studied my English in London in Stanton School of English oh nice, I had my first certificate Cambridge Examination and then I became qualified to study in the college. I studied two years about travel and tourism oh wow. After that I came back to Morocco by the end of 1986-87. Before I started gardening, I was a teacher in a private school here in Casablanca, in a school called Al Hayat. Now it's not existing anymore because it was sold by owner from Lebanon. Oh wow. Then I read in the newspaper that the need guide speak in English. So then I went to the Ministry of Tourism in Rabat to pass my exam. And then I passed my exam and I have my badge and my professional card to start guiding exactly on the 28th of February 1988. And since then I started working as a national guide for beside Casablanca, for the whole Morocco.

AZDEAN: 9:09

Oh, wow, that's very interesting. So now a lot of people who have visited the mosque and you have helped, they see that you're blind, yes, but sometimes you have your son with you, like today, mr Tareq. Sometimes you have your brother with you, but at some point were you always blind or something happened to you when you started. Were you a blind local guide when you started back in 1988? Or just something happened, no, and you became blind.

KHALIL: 9:35

When I became blind. It happened in 2018. 2018. 2018, I feel that I have a problem with my eyes, I see, and when I went to the doctor, it was too late for me oh wow To help me or to save my side. So since then, I keep working, but not for the tour of Morocco, it's hard for me, I need someone to be with me. But for Casablanca City Tour, I do it, and always someone is holding me and giving me a hand. Okay, the tour of Casablanca. I know it's my heart. It's like if I am drinking a cup of water. Okay.

AZDEAN: 10:15

So let me ask you a question. So before you were blind, you were actually a national guide. Yes, so somebody can hire you and you go with them to Casablanca. About first, about, yes, you've shown that. Yes, 15 in the South Countries. Okay. So now, when you became blind, it limited you and you just now doing the mosque and also the city of Casablanca. So let's say, for example, somebody wants to come and visit the mosque, they can hire you. And then what? If they wanna do a tour in Casablanca, can you take them and what are some of the sites that you would recommend for them to see, or where would you take them?

KHALIL: 10:49

Yes, for the mosque, sometimes it's easy for me, it's always someone. I find him to give me a hand, I see, but for the tour I need to fix with somebody, I see, so go with me, for example, for the tour of Casablanca, the classic tour of Casablanca, it's the big mosque, Hassan II, Casablanca, then La Corniche, la Corniche, yeah, we say the nightlife area of Casablanca, because there they are nightclub cafes, restaurant and the seaside of Casablanca it's always very busy, yeah, for the whole year by night, ah, wow. But this area is also very busy in summer time. Why? Because of the private swimming pool. I see we have Taitis swimming pool, we have Miami swimming pool, tropical swimming pool, acapil co and Contiki. Five. After nightlife area, close it's the ANFA area. Anfa area, it's on a hill and the name ANFA, it was the first name of the city of Casablanca. Ah, wow. And in ANFA area which exists, the first meeting in 1943, during the Second World War, on January 1943, it was one of the big event we say the meeting of Casablanca between Franklin Roosevelt, represent in United States, sir Winston Churchill, represent United Kingdom, Muhammad V from Morocco and his son Hassan II. He was only 14 years old. Ah, wow. And this meeting. It was taken in ANFA area in a villa. We call it Mirador Villa and since then this villa, it became the home of American consulate who come to work in Casablanca. Any consulate who was appointed by United States, he lives in this villa. I've been inside this villa and when I was, with my eyes you will find all the photos of the ex-president from George Washington at that time, when I went in 1995 to Bill Clinton. Ah, wow, yeah, oh, that's incredible.

KHALIL: 13:00

After ANFA area we go to the Habousk Water. Habousk, it's the Royal Palace area. It's what we call the new Medina. Why the new Medina? Because in 1920, after the protectorate in 1912, Moulay Yusuf, he became the king of Morocco. He served in radius and then when he made a trip from Rabat to Casablanca, he found the old Medina very busy with the local people I mean the Moroccan people, the French area very busy with the French people. So he preferred to build another area for the other local people who didn't find a place in the old Medina. That's why we call it the new Medina or the Haboo Squatter. The new downtown. Yeah, the Royal Palace area.

KHALIL: 13:48

After the Royal Palace area we have Mohamed V Square where we can find the fountain and all the government building who were built when the French were here in Morocco, the Protectorate, between 1912 and 1956. But those buildings, they were built between 1918 and 1932. What we can find? The city hall, the first town hall in Casablanca. Now it became the Mary of the big Casablanca. Next to it it's the low court or the tribunal. On the other side of the road you find two buildings. I don't take One, it's the Texas building and the other one it's the Registration Building, and in the middle it's a fountain splashed in water. Why we call it Mohamed V?

KHALIL: 14:40

When we have taken our independence in 1956, all the local people in Casablanca they gather in this square and they start to celebrate the Moroccan independence and in the meantime they were mentioning the name of the king life to Mohamed V. That's why we named it Mohamed V Square. Mohamed V Square Also, we can find the French Consulate. The French Consulate before the independence it was inside of the Old Medina. The Spanish, the Belgium, all of them, they were old in the Old Medina, but after independence they have moved outside the Old Medina and now we can see, or we can find, the French Consulate is close to the city hall, in Mohamed V Square and before that it was the study of the General Lioti. But when we have taken our independence they move the study of the General Lioti from Mohamed V Square inside of the French Consulate. You can see it A lot of incredible information.

KHALIL: 16:38

Yes, after Mohamed V Square we can move to the French area. We call it Casablanca Ardico area. In Casablanca Ardico area, it's the best ardico you can find in all over the world, with the balcony, with the design on the top of the building. It's a very nice area to see what we call Casablanca Ardico. After that we have the Old Medina. It's the first Kazablanca castle and normally we cannot call it Casablanca. We call it the Old Medina Because the Old Casablanca is a Berber architecture. We only found it in the Berber area, like the area of Ouarzazate, Tienghia and Qalat Mugun, and so on A lot of incredible information.

AZDEAN: 17:26

There. We get in a history lesson, all of us today the incredible mask of Hassan II. It's just, it's a beautiful, beautiful mosque. So now I want to ask you I mean, we were talking earlier and you said Anfa was the original name of the city. Now we say Casablanca. We all know what Casablanca really means, but can you give us a little bit of background, a little bit of history, if you would, about this? Yes, Casablanca, please. How it?

KHALIL: 17:51

all starts Well. The history of Casablanca. It was founded in the 8th century by a Berber tribe. We call them Barguata, barguata, yeah, barguata. And those tribes. They were moving between two rivers In the north of Casablanca, it's the river Bourgre. In the south of Casablanca, it's the river Umarrabe.

KHALIL: 18:16

So, the whole area. It was moving by this Berber tribe called the Barguata. When they want to settle here in Casablanca, they call it Anfa. Anfa in a Berber name it means hill, in French la culine, and we still have this area close to the sea. We call it the Anfa area, we call it the residential area with only villas, no high building, just villas.

KHALIL: 18:46

So in the 15th century the Portuguese, they have occupied all the coast of Morocco. They call the city Casablanca or Casablanca. Also, they have called El Jadida Mesa, again Asawera, they call it Mugador. So I come back to Casablanca, which it was occupied by the Portuguese. They call it Casablanca or Kazablanca. In 1907, Casablanca was occupied by the General Lioti, with 12,000 soldiers coming by the port of Casablanca In 1907, there are two cities who were occupied by the French before the Protectorate First Casablanca In 1907, and in the northeast of Morocco we call it Oujda. Why? Because the French, they were already in Algeria, so it was easy for them to occupy Oujda. So Oujda and Casablanca, they were occupied in 1907. Okay, so in 1912, we were obliged to sign the protectorate with the king Moli, abd al-Hafid, and the French government, represented by the general Lioti. General Lioti.

AZDEAN: 20:09

Okay. So just to give the listeners a little bit of background, you know from Algeria, Oujda, the city, it's right there in the border, so it's a very closed location. That's why it was kind of Easy for them. Yeah, easy target, absolutely. So what else can you tell us and the listeners about Casablanca? Anything else you would like to?

KHALIL: 20:26

tell them, yes, I would the name called by the Portuguese, casablanca. After they were coming to Spanish, the Spanish, they started to call the city La Casablanca, la Casablanca. La Casablanca it's a house, blanca it's a white but. But I come back a little bit in 1760. At the time of the king Sidi Muhammad bin Abdullah, after the earthquake of Lisbon in 1755, casablanca was touched. Not only Casablanca, also Meknes, volubilis, volubilis, a lot of area was touched and was fall down. Also Casablanca, a part of it was fall down. So that time, the king Sidi Muhammad bin Abdullah, he decided to rebuild some cities on the coast of Casablanca, for example Casablanca. When he rebuild it in 1760, he want to give it a name in Arabic and the name it was reputized from Casablanca, which it means in Arabic Addar al-Baeda, addar al-Baeda. The same for Mezagan. He rebuild building Mezagan and he gave it the name Al-Jadida. The name Al-Jadida it means in you, after rebuilding the city, it looks in. You Say you call it a new city, jdeida in Arabic. So they gave it the name Al-Jadida. For Al-Sawira, as I said, it was called Mugador. So he rebuild the city and gave it the name Al-Sawira, because the city it look like a photo and in Al-Sawira there is a museum of this king who rebuild the city. We call him Siddi Muhammad bin Abdullah and if you go to Al-Sawira, please try to visit this museum.

KHALIL: 22:19

So Casablanca in 1920, it was a young city, yes, only 27,000 inhabitants. But General Yotei, he decided to make a big port in Casablanca, and when we make the port we need the labour, the workers. So it was a big immigration from outside of Casablanca and also from other cities. That's why the number of the population in 1940, it became 600,000 inhabitants. In 1960, casablanca 1 million. In 1982, 2,800 million and nowadays it's over 5 million inhabitants. Casablanca, it's the capital, economic and industrial. The port of Casablanca, it was one of the biggest port in Morocco and the third largest port in Africa, after the one in Durban in South Africa and the one in Alexandria in Egypt. Now we have a bigger port in the north of Morocco, port of Métanger.

AZDEAN: 23:25

Yeah, yes, I'm learning so much with this conversation Really really appreciate it, mr Khalid. So what's going to be next for us, please?

KHALIL: 23:33

I will say something about the mosque. We can see it in front of us. Yeah, yes, for the mosque. Before we built it in this area, it was one of the big swimming pools in Casablanca. Believe me, nobody knows. Nobody knows it A few people, because I have swim in that swimming pool here when I was a child, 14, 15 years old. But this swimming pool it was abandoned because we built the other one I have mentioned before in the nightlife area of Casablanca, like Tropicana, paiti, miami and so on. So all the Moroccan districts go there. So this swimming pool, it was abandoned, but when hasn't the second? This is again exactly what he has said. According, because Hassan II was born on the 9th of July 1929, and he became a king on the 3rd of March 1961. So on his anniversary, his birthday on the 9th of July 1986, by the end of the speech he mentioned that he would like to build the mosque in Casablanca, and exactly in this area, because it would be easy for them to start the first building of the mosque, because it was the swimming pool, and he was an honor for him to give something for Casablanca.

KHALIL: 24:55

Militant people, because in Casablanca there is no monument, yes, and a lot of people in Kazablanca. They would die for the Moroccan independence, and the famous one. We call him Muhammad Zraq Tony. Apart from what we mentioned, the other one also, my father was one of the big militants from Drebghalif, because we have a group of the militants in the old Medina in Drebghalif, in Drebghalif, in Helmohammadi. So they were all fighting for the Moroccan independence, but the leader, it was Muhammad Zraq Tony. That's why this gentleman, he was killed by the French three years before the independence. So our independence he was in 1956, but Muhammad Zraq Tony was killed in 1953. That's why we named one of the longest and the biggest avenue in Kazablanca Muhammad Zraq Tony Avenue.

KHALIL: 25:51

So for the mosque, ladies and gentlemen, on the top of the prayer room we can see two green roofs, one big and one small. For the small green roof, it can be open and it can be closed in five minutes. System electronic slightly. For the minaret is the second highest minaret in the world. It's about 210 meters high, second highest minaret in the world, but for the beauty is the first one. I will show you why.

KHALIL: 26:21

I will tell you why is on the top of the minaret there are three spheres and the meaning of the three spheres. They are the three monotheistic religion in the world Judaism, Christianity and Islam and from the big spheres there is a green beam laser spot. Green beam laser lighted every night, showing the direction to Makkah that way, the northeast. Yeah, it's lighted only in the night and you can see it 35 kilometers far away from Casablanca. It's a nice view by night 35 kilometers, and hasn't the second. He would like to build this mosque on the west because Morocco, as a country, is located in the northwest part of Africa and, according to the region of Islam, he wants to make a relationship between this mosque on the west in Morocco and Makkah in the east, in Saudi Arabia, according to the religion I mean.

AZDEAN: 27:24

The question that I have. I remember going to school. I remember exactly what I was in school, the grade that I was, and we heard about the mosque. We heard about. You know the king wanted the people to be involved in building the mosque, whether they're Muslims or Jews. I tell you why.

KHALIL: 27:40

Yes, I tell you why he mentioned this because this said when you build a mosque or a cathedral or a synagogue where the name of God can be recited, the God or Allah resided for you or for her a room in the paradise. That's why we've been running to put some money for wishing a room in the paradise, insha'allah, after our time. That's incredible. Yes, I mean, if he wants to build it by his own proper money, he can do it, but he wants all the Moroccans to share To get that benefit.

KHALIL: 28:21

Yes, to get that benefit for Hasana, to have a room in the paradise, insha'allah, by the end of the life. This is the reason he was telling the people at least, if you have only give only one dollar, one dollar. But some the people, they give a thousand of dollars, some they give a hundred dollars, some they give twenty, some they give fifty. It depends on your income. Money you give whatever you can. Yeah, give whatever you can. It doesn't matter of the amount. When you give Hasana, he doesn't mention the amount. Yes, it's mentioned the help you given. Salam A'aikum.

AZDEAN: 28:59

A'bsalam A'aikum, Thank you for doing this. I know I really mean the team and the listeners.

KHALIL: 29:05

I really really appreciate it. Yes, with my pleasure, I am very happy. Thank you for making this trip, especially for us.

AZDEAN: 29:11

Yeah, welcome, it means the world to me, my team, yes, yes, and I am very happy to do this with my brother Red. The people that you have helped along the way that came to Casablanca, came to the mosque Hassan II mosque, and they were just mesmerized by you, by your hospitality, by your knowledge, respect for everything.

KHALIL: 29:33

Thank you, thank you, thank you, of course you're welcome.

AZDEAN: 29:36

No, so we're passing by another fountain. Yeah, a lot of fountains.

KHALIL: 29:41

Yes, but that's a pity they are not on. Yeah, it's a very nice view. Oh, absolutely. And the water is coming from the middle. Yeah, see you.