Pigeons on Mohammed V Square in 2012, before the latest renovation works
The square is known officially as Mohammed V Square, in honor of the former king of Morocco Mohammed V. The square is known popularly as "Pigeons' Square" (ساحة الحمام, French: place aux pigeons) due to the heavy presence of pigeons.[3] It used to be known by different names such as Main Square (French: grande place), Square of France (French: place de France), Square of Victory (French: place de la Victoire), Administrative Square (French: place administrative), and Marshal Lyautey Square (French: place du Maréchal Lyautey).
Historyedit
Henri Prost's preliminary sketch of the Place Administrative, November 1914[4]Joseph Marrast's general plan for the Place Administrative, 1920[4]
The area south of the Medina quarter that is now Mohammed V Square had been occupied by barracks of the French colonial forces before the plan of Henri Prost and Joseph Marrast [fr] to establish a large square there was implemented in 1916. It became the heart of the expanding "European city" (ville européenne) or modern expansion of Casablanca. Resident-general Hubert Lyautey, who was from Nancy, France, had that city's 18th-century Place Stanislas serve as inspiration for Prost's urban design.[5]
Buildings were erected around the square in the 1920s and 1930s, generally in the Moorish Revival architecture style championed by Henri Prost and his contemporaries.[6] This style combined French design principles with traditional Mauro-Andalusian architectural traditions, which lent the colonial administrative buildings legitimacy. Clockwise from the square's eastern side:
Court House (المحكمة, tribunal de première instance), architect Joseph Marrast [fr], 1923 [7]: 85
Place d'Armes de Casablanca (former Military Circle, repurposed in 1956), architect Marius Boyer, 1925 [7]: 84
French consulate-general (former Military Commander's Mansion, repurposed in 1956), architect Albert Laprade, 1922 [7]: 57 [8]
The Palais de Justice overlooking the gardens in 1936 in what is now Mohammed V Square.
On August 8, 1943, Charles de Gaulle, accompanied by General Georges Catroux, commissary of the Coordination of Muslim Affairs and governor general of Algeria, and Gabriel Puaux, resident general of France in Morocco, delivered a speech from the square, which was also broadcast by radio.[9][10]
The square was further transformed in 2020 with the construction on its western side of the Grand Theatre (French: Grand Théâtre de Casablanca), designed by architect Christian de Portzamparc. On that occasion the square was entirely renovated and repaved.
During the colonial era, the square was punctuated by two major works of public sculpture: on the eastern end, the Monument aux Morts, officially named monument à la victoire et à la paix, sculpted by Paul Landowski and inaugurated by Resident-general Lyautey on 20 July 1924;[5] and further west in front of the courthouse, the equestrian statue of Hubert Lyautey by François Cogné, inaugurated in 1938. The former was relocated to France in 1961 and reerected in 1965 as the monument de la fraternité franco-marocaine [fr] in Senlis; the latter was moved at the time of independence to French ground in the front yard of the nearby hôtel de la Subdivision militaire, which in 1959 became the French Consulate-general.[5][11]
In 1976, a large circular fountain, also known as the “pigeons’ fountain” (French: fontaine aux pigeons), was erected at the center of the square, west of Hassan II Avenue. In 2020 with the construction of the Grand Theater on the square’s western end, the much-liked fountain was relocated to the other side of the avenue, close to the original position of the Lyautey statue.
^ abcNicolas Alexandre; Emmanuel Neiger (2014), "Le Monument à la Victoire et à la Paix de Paul Landowski. Une découverte récente à Casablanca", In Situ: Revue des patrimoines, 25
^. 2016-04-02. Archived from the original on 2016-04-02. Retrieved 2019-09-19.
^ abcdefcasamémoire (2013), Guide des architectures du XXe siècle de Casablanca, Casablanca: Revue maure
^"Histoire du Consulat". Consulat général de France à Casablanca. 10 June 2015.
^"Discours prononcé à Casablanca (Place Lyautey), 8 août 1943" (PDF). charles-de-gaulle.org.
^"Le Petit Marocain". Gallica. 1943-08-08. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
^"Histoire du Consulat". Les Consulats Généraux de France au Maroc (in French). Retrieved 2020-03-19.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Place Mohammed V, Casablanca.
February 27, 2024
mohammed, square, arabic, ساحة, محمد, الخامس, public, square, historical, symbolic, significance, located, central, casablanca, morocco, established, 1916, beginning, french, protectorate, morocco, under, resident, general, hubert, lyautey, design, architects,. Mohammed V Square Arabic ساحة محمد الخامس is a public square of historical and symbolic significance located in central Casablanca Morocco It was established in 1916 at the beginning of the French protectorate in Morocco under Resident general Hubert Lyautey on a design by architects Henri Prost and Joseph Marrast fr 1 2 Mohammed V Square ساحة محمد الخامسTown squareNickname s Pidgeon Square ساحة الحمام Mohammed V Square looking toward the Court of First Instance Contents 1 Name 2 History 3 Monuments and fountain 4 See also 5 ReferencesName edit nbsp Pigeons on Mohammed V Square in 2012 before the latest renovation worksThe square is known officially as Mohammed V Square in honor of the former king of Morocco Mohammed V The square is known popularly as Pigeons Square ساحة الحمام French place aux pigeons due to the heavy presence of pigeons 3 It used to be known by different names such as Main Square French grande place Square of France French place de France Square of Victory French place de la Victoire Administrative Square French place administrative and Marshal Lyautey Square French place du Marechal Lyautey History edit nbsp Henri Prost s preliminary sketch of the Place Administrative November 1914 4 nbsp Joseph Marrast s general plan for the Place Administrative 1920 4 The area south of the Medina quarter that is now Mohammed V Square had been occupied by barracks of the French colonial forces before the plan of Henri Prost and Joseph Marrast fr to establish a large square there was implemented in 1916 It became the heart of the expanding European city ville europeenne or modern expansion of Casablanca Resident general Hubert Lyautey who was from Nancy France had that city s 18th century Place Stanislas serve as inspiration for Prost s urban design 5 Buildings were erected around the square in the 1920s and 1930s generally in the Moorish Revival architecture style championed by Henri Prost and his contemporaries 6 This style combined French design principles with traditional Mauro Andalusian architectural traditions which lent the colonial administrative buildings legitimacy Clockwise from the square s eastern side Court House المحكمة tribunal de premiere instance architect Joseph Marrast fr 1923 7 85 Place d Armes de Casablanca former Military Circle repurposed in 1956 architect Marius Boyer 1925 7 84 Bank Al Maghrib بنك المغرب formerly the State Bank of Morocco s Casablanca branch architect Edmond Brion 1937 7 48 Central Post Office مكتب البريد Grande Poste architect Adrien Laforgue 1920 7 49 Wilaya Building مقر الولاية formerly City Hall architect Marius Boyer 1937 7 58 French consulate general former Military Commander s Mansion repurposed in 1956 architect Albert Laprade 1922 7 57 8 nbsp The Palais de Justice overlooking the gardens in 1936 in what is now Mohammed V Square On August 8 1943 Charles de Gaulle accompanied by General Georges Catroux commissary of the Coordination of Muslim Affairs and governor general of Algeria and Gabriel Puaux resident general of France in Morocco delivered a speech from the square which was also broadcast by radio 9 10 The square was further transformed in 2020 with the construction on its western side of the Grand Theatre French Grand Theatre de Casablanca designed by architect Christian de Portzamparc On that occasion the square was entirely renovated and repaved Monuments and fountain edit nbsp The former Monument aux Morts re erected in 1965 in Senlis nbsp Equestrian statue of Hubert Lyautey before relocation on the grounds of the French consulateDuring the colonial era the square was punctuated by two major works of public sculpture on the eastern end the Monument aux Morts officially named monument a la victoire et a la paix sculpted by Paul Landowski and inaugurated by Resident general Lyautey on 20 July 1924 5 and further west in front of the courthouse the equestrian statue of Hubert Lyautey by Francois Cogne inaugurated in 1938 The former was relocated to France in 1961 and reerected in 1965 as the monument de la fraternite franco marocaine fr in Senlis the latter was moved at the time of independence to French ground in the front yard of the nearby hotel de la Subdivision militaire which in 1959 became the French Consulate general 5 11 In 1976 a large circular fountain also known as the pigeons fountain French fontaine aux pigeons was erected at the center of the square west of Hassan II Avenue In 2020 with the construction of the Grand Theater on the square s western end the much liked fountain was relocated to the other side of the avenue close to the original position of the Lyautey statue See also editUnited Nations Square Casablanca Arab League Park Avenue Mohammed V Rabat Mohammed V of MoroccoReferences edit Les journees du patrimoine Circuit Place Mohammed V 2016 04 02 Archived from the original on 2016 04 02 Retrieved 2019 09 19 ميدان محمد الخامس www batuta com in Arabic Retrieved 2019 09 19 ساحة الحمام في الدار البيضاء م ع لم تاريخي بتصميم أوروبي الشرق الأوسط 2017 05 15 Archived from the original on 2017 05 15 Retrieved 2019 09 19 a b Cohen Jean Louis 2002 Casablanca colonial myths and architectural ventures Monique Eleb New York ISBN 1 58093 087 5 OCLC 49225856 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link a b c Nicolas Alexandre Emmanuel Neiger 2014 Le Monument a la Victoire et a la Paix de Paul Landowski Une decouverte recente a Casablanca In Situ Revue des patrimoines 25 Les journees du patrimoine Circuit Place Mohammed V 2016 04 02 Archived from the original on 2016 04 02 Retrieved 2019 09 19 a b c d e f casamemoire 2013 Guide des architectures du XXe siecle de Casablanca Casablanca Revue maure Histoire du Consulat Consulat general de France a Casablanca 10 June 2015 Discours prononce a Casablanca Place Lyautey 8 aout 1943 PDF charles de gaulle org Le Petit Marocain Gallica 1943 08 08 Retrieved 2020 06 21 Histoire du Consulat Les Consulats Generaux de France au Maroc in French Retrieved 2020 03 19 nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Place Mohammed V Casablanca Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mohammed V Square amp oldid 1177340873, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
