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If Essaouira is generally acclaimed as one of the most enchanting spots along Morocco's Atlantic coast, it owes this position to a temperate climate which hardly varies from one month to the next, to the welcome and warmth offered by its inhabitants, to its inheritance of treasures both architectural and cultural and, more than all of these perhaps, to the unique atmosphere which rules its graceful streets, where fishermen, locals,
tourists both Moroccan and European, merchants, craftsmen, musicians, and artists of all kinds come to share their work, their perspectives and their friendship as they have now for hundreds of years.
or some time now Essaouira has been experiencing a boom in tourism, aided by regular flights from major destinations around the world. Essaouira is developing fast, while carefully maintaining the combination of reflective beauty and youthful energy which draw people back to our town again and again
Essaouira possesses a classical European 'Grand Place,' beautifully preserved ramparts and naval fortifications, one of the finest remaining fortified ports in the world, and numerous monuments of historical interest
left by figures ranging from sixteenth-century Portugese explorers right up to Orson Welles and Jimmy Hendrix. Its architecture is both harmonous and yet varied, exposing at different times its French, Portugese, and Berber heritages. Mixing historic buildings with award-winning twentieth century designs lining its long, serene boardwalk, Essaouira is, like Morocco itself, a study in contrasts -- its impressive ramparts and cannon-studded walls enclosing tranquil winding streets, the bustle of the souks giving way to the crumbling grandeur of the ancient Mellah, mosques nestled next to churches and synagogues; and just minutes from the crash of ocean waves one finds the many great riads, their tranquil courtyards and soaring atriums restored to the golden age of Moroccan tilework and woodcraft, offering hospitality once again in the purest Moroccan tradition.
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 Essaouira's history begins in the 7th century B.C., when the Phoenecians used the Isle of Mogador as a stopover on their sea routes down towards the equator. Many years later Juba II, the king of Mauritania, established a
dye factory here to produce the purple colors much sought after by the wealthy Roman Empire. In the 15th century the Portugese arrived in force, establishing what would become one of the three most important bases in their expanding maritime empire. Although the town was occupied for a time by the Saadian sultanate, it was the Alaouite Sultan Sidi Mohammed Ibn Abdallah who, in the 1760s, transformed Essaouira from a regional backwater into an open trading city, attracting merchants, scholars, and foreign populations including numerous Christians and Jews. It was at this time as well that the Sultan entrusted the planning of his new city and its fortifications to French architect Théodore Cornut, who is responsible for much of Essaouira's enduring order and grace.
Essaouira, known then as Mogador, was for centuries a key trading center between Timbuktu and Europe, overseeing flows of manufactured goods streaming south in exchange for African salt, spices, sugar, feathers and gold. In recent years the exchanges have been more cultural in nature: in the 1950's Orson Welles famously shot "Othello" on Essaouira's streets and Skala, while in the 1960s and 70s Essaouira and the pristene beaches just south of town provided haven and inspiration for musicians such as Jimmy Hendrix and Cat Stevens. |
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More recently another group has discovered Essaouira: the athletes of wind and surf, drawn here by the great waves which unceasingly ply the coast from Moulay Bouzerktoun down to Sidi Kaouki. Kite, wind, and board surfers have their own Essaouira, a laid-back year-round paradise which they have dubbed "Windy City, Africa." Moreover, Essaouira is now once again truly an international crossroads, as numerous foreigners fall in love with our town and painstakingly restore the ancient homes of the Kasbah, opening new restaurants and hotels which combine a European sensibility with careful attention to Moroccan heritage which make Essaouira a truly special place to spend days, weeks, or years. |
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