Sidi Allal el - Kairouani Tomb, Casablanca

According to local tradition, Sidi Allal el-Kairouani was a Muslim saint who arrived on the Atlantic coast of Morocco in the 14th century. He is said to have set out from Kairouan in present-day Tunisia. His journey ended abruptly when his ship was wrecked off the Moroccan shore. Rescued by local fishermen, he settled among them, gradually gaining a reputation for piety and wisdom, and attracting followers who regarded him as a holy man.

Tradition further holds that Sidi Allal later sent for his daughter, Lalla Baida, who attempted the same sea crossing from Kairouan. Her ship also foundered, and unlike her father, she did not survive. She was buried near the shore, and Sidi Allal is said to have requested that he be laid to rest beside her upon his death. Their graves gradually became a focus of local devotion, and a small shrine developed on the site.

Gaining formal recognition in the 18th century, Sidi Allal el-Kairouani came to be widely regarded as the patron saint of fishermen. People continue to visit the shrine to pray for protection and safe returns. One persistent local legend claims that Casablanca’s former name, “White House”, may have been inspired by the whitewashed walls of the tomb, visible from the sea to approaching sailors.