Les anciens abattoirs - VISIT CASABLANCA

Culture, Leisure and Business Travel:
Live the Casablanca-Settat experience

Touristic guide

In Casablanca, a vast former slaughterhouse has been transformed into a cultural factory. A stunning space has become a creative melting pot for the youthful resistance active in Casablanca's urban chaos.

In the labyrinthine streets of Casablanca, urban landmarks are essential for orientation. The Old Slaughterhouse is one of the city's most important landmarks. It stands in the legendary Hay Mohammadi neighborhood, home to major figures in Moroccan art, culture, and sport. The Old Slaughterhouse is the name of a nearby tram stop: the Old Slaughterhouse Station.

History of space: The old slaughterhouses, the first expression of modernity in Casablanca.

A landmark in Moroccan architectural heritage, the former slaughterhouses represent an important moment in Casablanca's history. In the 1920s, during the French Protectorate, the northeast of the city became a major industrial zone, a base for production facilities and industrial units. A large number of workers from rural areas settled there. This rural exodus led to uncontrolled urban growth, with informal settlements and the first shantytowns in the country's history. The slaughterhouse was designed by architect Georges-Ernest Desmarest and built in 1922. The architectural style of the buildings is neo-Moorish with avant-garde touches: the Art Deco style, which did not yet exist in 1925.

The wasteland surrounding it is barren and anonymous. The sun is strong, the light is blinding.

The area is surrounded by small buildings, slums, and barbecue restaurants; nearby are factories and industrial spaces. The building is quite large but remains hidden behind a few trees, revealing no clues as to what's going on inside.

The slaughterhouse, a counter-culture space

All visitors were stunned by the monumental scale of its remarkable architecture. The slaughterhouses consist of a series of buildings, courtyards, and alleys spanning 5 hectares.

The authenticity of these vast spaces steeped in memories, with the stables left intact, impresses all visitors. Art and culture coexist with butchery and slaughter equipment.

As you wander through the buildings, garishly colored graffiti tantalizes your senses. Their scathing, vivid, and suffocating expression evokes the cries of rebellious youth, eager for freedom and energy. They proliferate on tiles, floors, and logging equipment, brazenly spilling out of cracked walls.

Practical information

Other similes

The recently renovated ZafZaf Theater is a cultural center located in Maarif, Casablanca, dedicated to the memory of the writer Mohamed…

The CAFC Theater

The CAFC Theater in Casablanca, formerly Caf Conc', is a major cultural center offering a wide range of artistic activities,…

Terminus of the Arts

Terminus des Arts, founded in 2010 in Casablanca, is the first Moroccan company specializing in street arts.…

Ben Msik Theater

Inaugurated on May 24, 2022, the Ben M'Sik Theater is a modern cultural space in Casablanca, dedicated to the arts of…

Mohamed VI Theater

The Mohammed VI Theater in Casablanca is a modern cultural center offering a varied program of music and…

Artorium is an art space in Casablanca, designed to host various cultural events, ranging from exhibitions to conferences, including…

Villa of the Arts

The Villas des Arts are contemporary art spaces in Casablanca and Rabat dedicated to the promotion of Moroccan art.…

Atelier 21 is an art gallery in Casablanca, dedicated to the promotion of Moroccan and African visual arts, with a…

African Arty Gallery

African Arty is a Casablanca-based gallery and artist residency dedicated to promoting contemporary African art and…

Former Church of the Sacred Heart

If you are looking for a quixotic and magical place, nothing beats the Sacred Heart Church of Casablanca, located in the city…

Boultek is a meeting, exchange, rehearsal and performance space for artists from the music scene…

Boulevard Mohammed V

This commercial artery, lined with buildings dating from the 1930s which combine European and Oriental influences, brings together…

Our partners