Essaouira is the wind city of Africa. The city gives you the feeling as if time has stopped for a moment. You can take a step back and just relax.
With her beautiful ancient medina and impressive city walls, picturesque harbour and stretched bay, Essaouira charms immediately her visitors.
Nautical sports can be perfectly practised throughout the whole year in ultimate conditions.
Besides nautical sports, Essaouira has a lot to offer. Many other sports and activities, such as horseback riding, golf, quad riding, motorsports, biking, yoga, cooking courses, paint courses, a hammam, massages and many more.
Essaouira has avery rich an ancient history. Archelogical research shows it has been occupied since prehistoric times. The bay at Essaouira is partially sheltered by the island of Mogador, making it a peaceful harbor protected against strong marine winds.
The Carthaginian navigator Hanno visited and established a trading post in Essaouira in the 5th century BC. Around the end of the 1st century BC or early 1st century AD, a Tyrian purple factory was established, processing the murex and purpura shells found in the intertidal rocks at Essaouira and the Iles Purpuraires. This dye colored the purple stripe in Imperial Roman Senatorial togas.
During the Middle Ages, a Muslim saint named Sidi Mogdoul was buried in Essaouira. In 1506, the king of Portugal, D. Manuel I ordered a fortress to be built there, named "Castelo Real de Mogador". The fortress fell to the local resistance of the Regraga fraternity four years later.
The present city of Essaouira was only built during the 18th century. Mohammed III, wishing to reorient his kingdom towards the Atlantic for increased exchanges with European powers, chose Mogador as his key location. He directed a French engineer, Théodore Cornut, to build the fortress and city along modern lines. Originally called "Souira", "The small fortress", the name then became "Es-Saouira", "The beautifully designed".
Mohammed ben Abdallah encouraged Moroccan Jews to settle in the town and handle the trade with Europe. Jews once comprised 40% of the population, and the Jewish quarter, or mellah remains, containing many old synagogues. The town also has a large Jewish cemetery. The city flourished until the caravan trade died, outmoded by direct European trade with sub-Saharan Africa.
When the French protectorate was established in 1912, the town was rebaptised Mogador and lost much its importance to the up and coming port cities Casablanca, Tangier and Agadir. With independence, in 1956, the sleepy backwater again became Essaouira.
Essaouira was discovered by the hippie movement in the late 1960's and early 1970's. Rock stars such as Jimmy Hendrix and Cat Stevens began spending time in the city and its neighboring villages, and the Living Theater of Julian Beck and Judith Malina found a home there for a time. Because of the presence of such celebrities, Essaouira became a destination for young people and artists who left an important mark on the cultural tourism that would develop later.
Tourists are drawn to Essaouira by its art scene, its Gnaoua culture and music, and the excellent kite- and windsurfing conditions. There are a number of annual music and art festivals, the biggest one being the Gnaoua World Music Festival in June. It brings together artists from all over the world. Although focussed on gnaoua music, it includes rock, jazz and reggae. Dubbed as the "Moroccan Woodstock" it lasts four days and attracts annually around 450,000 spectators. Numerous Moroccan and foreign artists reside in the city, which is renowned for is fine dining and its relaxed ambience.
Essaouira has been called out to be UNESCO World Heritage since 1998.
