0271. Youssefia, A Company Town (Mor 104--new)

Next city up the road is Youssefia--a rather unique town.  This city was basically built by the French for the engineers and workers at the nearby, large phoshate mine. So nearby that the mountain of mine waste practically looms over the city. 

The French section of town is quite remarkable--shady parks, beautiful tiled mansions, block after block of idyllic cottages surrounded by what were once gardens--walking up those streets, despite their rather abandoned and run down feel, you'd swear that you're in some anynomous village in France.  Clearly the goal was to insure that the French who came here felt completely at home...

All this is a sudden and stark contrast with the scruffy slums and neighborhoods snuggled right up to the mine...

I played my set in a long, long, tree lined plaza with what looks like a defunct chapel at the end... then I wandered around some more, pondering on the lingering effects of colonialism, elitism and industrialization...