For architecture fans, Casablanca offers a visual feast of Moorish tiles, ancient minarets and French colonial facades with Art Deco touches, but much still faces dereliction or is falling apart.
To highlight the rich heritage of the Moroccan economic capital and encourage its preservation, guided walking tours have taken thousands of people on urban explorations on Ramadan evenings.
Normally, "the pace of life in Casablanca is so hectic that we don't take the time to appreciate" the landmarks, said Mehdi Ksikes, 51, a company manager joining one of the "Heritage Nights" tours.
Ksikes said on a tour during the Muslim holy month of fasting that he was seeing the city of his birth with new eyes.
"I live here, but that doesn't stop me from discovering things about my city."
The visitors gazed intently at a facade in central Casablanca as Leila, a volunteer guide with heritage association Casamemoire, pointed out details most of them had missed.
Casablanca's architectural heritage is not limited to its 18th-century walled city, but also includes structures from its urban expansion during the French colonial period from 1912 to 1956.
Architects drew inspiration from different styles, such as "colonial architecture in Algeria and Tunisia" and "new Moroccan architecture", a fusion of classic European architecture and elements of Moroccan craftsmanship, Rouissi said.
Casamemoire was founded in 1995 with the aim of promoting the city 's "unique" heritage and preserving it, after the demolition of several historic buildings.
Many of Casablanca's historical buildings, such as the Wilaya (province) hall, the court of first instance, the central bank building, and others, are in the old administrative district in the city centre.
A total of 483 buildings in the city have been listed as national heritage, and 100 others are expected to be added soon, according to culture ministry official Hassan Zohal.
The owners of national heritage buildings are required to preserve the original architecture of the facades when carrying out renovations or other work.
"The fight today is to show the value of this heritage," said Benzriouil, a city tour guide.
"We need to think about how to keep these buildings alive before they are doomed to disappear."
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