Things to do · Casablanca
The Cathédrale du Sacré-Cœur is one of Casablanca's most striking pieces of 20th-century architecture — a bold white former cathedral rising beside the Parc de la Ligue Arabe in the city centre. Completed in the 1930s by the French architect Paul Tournon, it blends Art Deco lines with a neo-Gothic silhouette of twin towers and soaring concrete vaults. It was deconsecrated after Moroccan independence and is no longer a working church; today it stands as a landmark of the city's celebrated Art Deco heritage and is sometimes used as a cultural and exhibition space. Here is what to see and how to take it in.
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Despite its name and cathedral form, the Sacré-Cœur is no longer a place of worship. It was a Roman Catholic church built during the French protectorate, but was deconsecrated after Morocco's independence in 1956 and has not functioned as a church since. It survives as an architectural landmark, admired chiefly for its design rather than as a religious site, and is at times opened for cultural events and exhibitions.
The building was designed by the French architect Paul Tournon and completed in the 1930s. Tournon was known for ambitious church designs that experimented with reinforced concrete, and the Sacré-Cœur is one of his most distinctive works — a confident fusion of Gothic verticality with the geometric, streamlined feel of the Art Deco era.
From the outside, the all-white exterior and twin towers give the cathedral a sculptural, almost ceremonial presence. The forms are clearly drawn from Gothic cathedrals — pointed arches, buttressing, soaring towers — but rendered in clean, geometric concrete that places the building firmly in Casablanca's Art Deco tradition rather than in any historic European city.
When access is possible, the interior is the highlight: a tall, light-filled nave carried on slender concrete columns that branch upward like a modern reinterpretation of Gothic stone vaulting. The scale and the exposed structural lines make the inside feel airy and dramatic, very different from the heavy stone interiors of older cathedrals.
The cathedral is known for its geometric stained glass, which filters daylight into the nave in shifting colours through the day. The interplay of light, the pale concrete and the tall windows is one of the most photographed aspects of the building when it is open, so timing a visit for bright daylight rewards those who get inside.
The Sacré-Cœur belongs to Casablanca's remarkable concentration of 1920s and 1930s architecture, when the city became a showcase for Art Deco and Mauresque design blending European modernism with Moroccan motifs. Seeing the cathedral alongside the downtown's facades, balconies and ironwork helps put its bold design in the wider story of the city's interwar building boom.
The cathedral sits next to the Parc de la Ligue Arabe, one of central Casablanca's largest green spaces, with palm-lined promenades and cafés. The park is a pleasant place to view the building from a distance, rest between sights and approach the cathedral on foot rather than fighting downtown traffic.
The white towers photograph well against a blue sky, and the building is a favourite subject for visitors interested in architecture. Wide shots from the park capture the full silhouette, while closer angles pick out the geometric detailing. If the interior is open, the columns and stained glass are the standout images.
Because the building is no longer a functioning church, interior access is not guaranteed and can be irregular — it depends on whether the space is open for an exhibition, event or informal visiting at the time. Check current opening locally or with a guide before counting on going in; many visitors still find the exterior worthwhile even when the doors are closed.
The Sacré-Cœur pairs naturally with a walk around Place Mohammed V and the surrounding Art Deco downtown, where many of the city's finest interwar buildings stand. Together they make an easy half-day on foot in central Casablanca, often combined with the Hassan II Mosque or the Habous quarter to round out a day in the city.
No. The Sacré-Cœur was a Roman Catholic cathedral built during the French protectorate, but it was deconsecrated after Morocco's independence in 1956 and is no longer a working church. Today it is valued as an architectural landmark and is sometimes used as a cultural or exhibition space rather than for worship.
It was designed by the French architect Paul Tournon and completed in the 1930s. The design combines a neo-Gothic cathedral silhouette of twin towers and tall vaults with the clean, geometric feel of the Art Deco era, executed largely in reinforced concrete.
Sometimes. Because it is no longer a functioning church, interior access is irregular and depends on whether the building is open for an exhibition, event or visiting at the time. It is best to check current opening locally or with a guide, as access can vary; even when closed, the white Art Deco exterior is worth seeing.
The cathedral stands in central Casablanca beside the Parc de la Ligue Arabe, a large palm-lined park. It is close to Place Mohammed V and the Art Deco downtown, and is easily combined with an architecture walk and other city sights such as the Hassan II Mosque or the Habous quarter.
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