Hubous

Hubous
A typical view from within the alleys of the Hubous neighborhood in Casablanca

The Hubous (Arabic: الحُبوس al-Hubous or حَي الأَحْباس Hay al-Ahbaas), or colloquially Habous, is one of the older neighborhoods of Casablanca, Morocco. Its development dates back to 1916, in the early stages of the French protectorate. The neighborhood is a cultural and religious center for Casablanca and for Morocco, as it hosts the Moroccan Ministry of Islamic Affairs as well as bookstores of important Moroccan and Arabic publishing houses.^[1] The many traditional and historic buildings also make the Hubous a popular tourist destination.^[1]

Name[]

The word ḥubous (حُبوس) in Arabic means a waqf (وَقْف), an inalienable charitable real estate endowment for Islamic religious purposes or charity. A Moroccan Jewish man named apparently gifted the land to the sultan, who allocated it to the Ministry of Islamic Affairs.^[2]

History[]

Looking toward Mahkamat al-Pasha.

In 1916, almost a decade after the French invasion and occupation of Casablanca and four years after the official establishment of the French protectorate, General Lyautey's handpicked urban planner Henri Prost and his team decided to build a "nouvelle ville indigène," a new medina near the sultan's palace to the east of the new center.^[3]

The was designed by and Edmond Brion, and the was designed by Cadet and built from 1934 to 1936.

Mahkamat al-Pasha, one of the most important buildings in the Hubous, was built 1941–1942.^[4]

References[]

Coordinates: 33°34′39″N 7°36′23″W / 33.5774°N 7.6064°W / 33.5774; -7.6064