Essaouira ( ; ), known until the 1960s as Mogador (, or ), is a

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

in the western Moroccan region of Marrakesh-Safi, on the Atlantic coast. It has 77,966 inhabitants as of 2014. The foundation of the city of Essaouira was the work of the Moroccan 'Alawid sultan Mohammed bin Abdallah, who made an original experiment by entrusting it to several architects in 1760, in particular Théodore Cornut and Ahmed al-Inglizi, who designed the city using French captives from the failed French expedition to Larache in 1765, and with the mission of building a city adapted to the needs of foreign merchants. Once built, it continued to grow and experienced a golden age and exceptional development, becoming the country's most important commercial port but also its diplomatic capital between the end of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century. Medina of Essaouira was designated by the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

in 2001.

Name and etymology

The name of the city is usually spelled ''Essaouira'' in Latin script, and in Arabic script. Both spellings represent its name in Moroccan Arabic, ''aṣ-Ṣwiṛa''. This is the diminutive (with definite article) of the noun ''ṣuṛ'' which means "wall (as round a yard, city), rampart". The pronunciation with pharyngealized /sˁ/ and /rˁ/ is a typically Moroccan development. In Classical Arabic, the noun is ''sūr'' (, with plain /s/ and /r/), diminutive ''suwayrah'' (); this is the only form cited in all dictionaries of Classical Arabic. Hence, the spelling of the name in Arabic script according to the classical pronunciation is ''al-Suwayrah'' (with '' sīn'' not '' ṣād''). Until the 1960s, Essaouira was generally known by its Portuguese name, ''Mogador''. This name is probably a corruption of ''Amegdul'' (), which was mentioned by the 11th-century geographer al-Bakrī. The name ''Mogador'' originated from the Phoenician word ''Migdol'', meaning 'small fortress'.

History

Archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

research shows that Essaouira has been occupied since

prehistoric Prehistory, also called pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the first known use of stone tools by hominins million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use o ...

times. The bay at Essaouira is partially sheltered by the island of Mogador, making it a peaceful harbor protected against strong marine winds.

Antiquity

Essaouira has long been considered one of the best anchorages of the Moroccan coast. The Carthaginian navigator Hanno visited in the 5th century BCE and established the trading post of Arambys. Around the end of the 1st century BCE or early 1st century CE, the

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...

king of

Mauretania Mauretania (; ) is the Latin name for a region in the ancient Maghreb. It extended from central present-day Algeria to the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, encompassing northern present-day Morocco, and from the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean in the ...

Juba II established a Tyrian purple factory, processing the murex and purpura shells found in the intertidal rocks at Essaouira and the Iles Purpuraires. This dye colored the purple stripe in the togas worn by the Senators of Imperial Rome. A Roman villa was excavated on Mogador island. A Roman vase was found as well as coinage from the 3rd century CE. Most of the artifacts are now visible in the Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah Museum and the Rabat Archaeological Museum. File:Phenician plate with red slip 7th century BCE excavated in Mogador island.jpg,

Phoenicia Phoenicians were an Ancient Semitic-speaking peoples, ancient Semitic group of people who lived in the Phoenician city-states along a coastal strip in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily modern Lebanon and the Syria, Syrian ...

n plate with red slip, 7th century BCE, excavated in Mogador island, Essaouira. Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah Museum. File:Amphora of the Beltran 2B type late 1st or 2nd century Betique Southern Spain found between Mogador and Pharaon islands.jpg, Betica amphora found in Essaouira, 1-2nd century CE. File:Amphora of the Agora K109 type Agean sea 3rd 4th century CE found between Mogador and Pharaon islands.jpg, Aegean amphora found in Essaouira, 3-4th century CE. File:Roman coins excavated in Essaouira 3rd century and late Roman Empire.jpg, Roman coins excavated in Essaouira, 3rd century.

Early modern period

During the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, a

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

saint named Sidi Mogdoul was buried in Essaouira, probably giving its origin to the name "Mogador".

Portuguese establishment (1506–1510)

In 1506, the king of Portugal, D. Manuel I, ordered a fortress to be built there, named Castelo Real de Mogador. Altogether, the Portuguese are documented to have seized six Moroccan towns and built six stand-alone fortresses on the Moroccan Atlantic coast, between the river Loukos in the north and the river of Sous in the south. Four of them only had a short duration: Graciosa (1489), São João da Mamora (1515), Castelo Real of Mogador (1506–10) and Aguz (1520–25). Two became permanent urban settlements: Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué (modern Agadir, founded in 1505–06), and Mazagan, founded in 1514–17. Following the 1541 Fall of Agadir, the Portuguese had to abandon most of their settlements between 1541 and 1550, although they were able to keep

Ceuta Ceuta (, , ; ) is an Autonomous communities of Spain#Autonomous cities, autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta is one of th ...

, Tangier and Mazagan. The

fortress A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from L ...

of Castelo Real of Mogador fell to the local resistance of the Regraga fraternity four years after its establishment, in 1510. Castelo Real Adriaen Matham 1641

During the 16th century, powers including Spain, England, the Netherlands and France tried in vain to conquer the locality. Essaouira remained a haven for the export of sugar and molasses and as an anchorage for pirates.

De Razilly expedition (1629)

France was involved in an early attempt to colonize Mogador in 1629. As Richelieu and Père Joseph were attempting to establish a colonial policy, Admiral Isaac de Razilly suggested they occupy Mogador in 1626, which he had reconnoitered in 1619. The objective was to create a base against the Sultan of Morocco and asphyxiate the harbour of Safi. He departed for Salé on 20 July 1629 with a fleet composed of the ships ''Licorne'', ''Saint-Louis'', ''Griffon'', ''Catherine'', ''Hambourg'', ''Sainte-Anne'', ''Saint-Jean''. He bombarded the city of Salé, destroyed three corsair ships, and then sent the ''Griffon'' under Captain Treillebois to Mogador. The men of Razilly saw the fortress of Castelo Real in Mogador and landed 100 men with wood and supplies on Mogador island, with the agreement of Richelieu. After a few days, however, the ''Griffon'' reembarked the colonists and departed to rejoin the fleet in Salé. After these expeditions, France signed a treaty with Abd el-Malek II in 1631, giving France preferential treatment, known as " capitulations": preferential tariffs, the establishment of a Consulate, and freedom of religion for French subjects.

Foundation of modern Essaouira (1760–1770)

The present city of Essaouira was built during the mid-eighteenth century by the Moroccan King. Mohammed III tried to reorient his kingdom toward the Atlantic for increased exchanges with European powers, choosing Mogador as his key location. One of his objectives was to establish a harbour at the closest possible point to Marrakesh.''The Anglo American, Volume 3'' by Alexander D. Paterson p.521
/ref> The other was to cut off trade from Agadir in the south, which had been favouring a political rival of Mohammed III, and the inhabitants of Agadir were forced to relocate to Essaouira. For 12 years, Mohammed III directed a French engineer, Théodore Cornut, and several other Moroccan and European architects and technicians to build the fortress and city along modern lines.Of Essaouira: "He employed European architects to design it, one a Frenchman said to be his prisoner, and the other an Englishman, converted to Islam and known as Ahmed el-Inglizi— otherwise Ahmed the Englishman." in ''Morocco'', Dorothy Hales Gary, Baron Patrick Balfour Kinross, Viking Press, 1971, p.35 Originally called "Souira" ("the small fortress"), the name became "Es-Saouira" ("the beautifully designed"). Thédore Cornut designed and built the city itself, particularly the Kasbah area, corresponding to the royal quarters and the buildings for Christian merchants and diplomats. Other parts were built by other architects, including Moroccan architects especially from Fez, Marrakesh, and Rabat. The harbour entrance, with the "Porte de la Marine", was built by an English renegade by the name of Ahmed el Inglizi ("Ahmed the English") or Ahmed El Alj ("Ahmed the Renegade"). Mohammed III took numerous steps to encourage the development of Essaouira including closing off the harbour of Agadir to the south in 1767 so that southern trade could be redirected through Essaouira. European communities in the northern harbour of

Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ) is the Capital (political), capital city of Morocco and the List of cities in Morocco, country's seventh-largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan population of over 1.2 million. ...

- Salé were ordered to move to Essaouira through an ordinance of 21 January 1765. From the time of its rebuilding by Muhammad III until the end of the nineteenth century, Essaouira served as Morocco's principal port, offering the goods of the caravan trade to the world. The route brought goods from

sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

Timbuktu Timbuktu ( ; ; Koyra Chiini: ; ) is an ancient city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. It is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrative regions of Mali, having a population of 32,460 in the 2018 census. ...

, then through the desert and over the

Atlas Mountains The Atlas Mountains are a mountain range in the Maghreb in North Africa. They separate the Sahara Desert from the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; the name "Atlantic" is derived from the mountain range, which stretches around through M ...

to Marrakesh. The road from Marrakesh to Essaouira is a straight line, explaining the king's choice of this port among the many others along the Moroccan coast. File:Skala de Ville.jpg, City walls. File:EssaouiraRamparts.JPG, The ramparts from the

Medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...

. File:EssaouiraCitadel.JPG, The Genoese-built citadel by the harbour. File:Skala du Port (js).jpg, Harbour scala. File:Medina of Essaouira (formerly Mogador)-113160.jpg, tower and walls File:Dutch cannon made by Adrianus Crans in La Hague 1744 installed in Essaouira Morocco.jpg, Dutch cannon made by Adrianus Crans in

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

in 1744, installed in Essaouira.

Jewish presence

A Jewish house in Mogador by Darondeau 1807 1841

Mohammed III encouraged Moroccan Jews to settle in the town and handle the trade with Europe. Jews once comprised the majority of the population, and the Jewish quarter (or mellah) contains many old

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

s. The town also has a large Jewish cemetery. The city flourished until the caravan trade died, superseded by direct European shipping trade with sub-Saharan Africa. Changes in trade, the founding of Israel, the resulting wars with Arab states, and the independence of Morocco all resulted in Sephardic Jews leaving the country. As of 2017, Essaouira had only three Jewish inhabitants. On 15 January 2020, King Mohammed VI visited Bayt Dakira, a Jewish heritage house, in Essaouira. File:Old Jewish quarters in Essaouira.jpg, Old Jewish quarter in Essaouira. File:Jewish cemetery in Essaouira.jpg, Jewish cemetery in Essaouira.

European trade and diplomacy

In the 19th century, Essaouira became the first seaport of Morocco, with trade volumes about double those of

.''The Anglo American, Volume 3'' by Alexander D. Paterson p.520 ''ff''
/ref> The city functioned as the harbour for Marrakesh, as it was only a few days from the inland city. Diplomatic and trade representations were established by European powers in Essouira. In the 1820s, European diplomats were concentrated in either Tangier or Essaouira. File:Essaouira Dutch Consulate 19th century.jpg, Remains of the 19th-century Dutch Consulate in Essaouira. File:Portuguese Consulate in Essaouira 19th century.jpg, Remains of the 19th-century Portuguese Consulate in Essaouira. File:Former Essaouira English Consulate.jpg, Former Essaouira English Consulate. File:Former French Consulate in Essaouira.jpg, Former French Consulate in Essaouira.

French interventions and Protectorate

The attack of Mogador by the French fleet Serkis Diranian

Following Morocco's alliance with Algeria's Abd-El-Kader against France, Essaouira was bombarded and briefly occupied by the

French Navy The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...

under the Prince de Joinville on 16 August 1844, in the Bombardment of Mogador, an important battle of the First Franco-Moroccan War.

Bombardment by the Confederate States Navy (1864)

In the spring of 1864, the Commerce Raider, CSS Georgia of the Confederate States of America's

Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...

arrived off of the coast of the City as a reprieve from a hard winter's sail. Upon arrival, the crew were able to lower a Cutter and bend oars towards the shore. Upon landing, the crew was greeted by hostile Moroccans who knew both who they were and that their government was hostile towards them, despite spoken neutrality. The officers were then forced, at gunpoint back towards the sea and into the boats from which they arrived. Back on the ship, Captain Matthew Fontaine Maury ordered a shot from the ''Georgia's'' ten inch turret gun, followed by a salvo bombardment. No Moroccan casualties were recorded, due to their retreat from the shore during the initial shot fired. This marked the only time that Confederate guns were fired anywhere besides North America.

French Colonial Empire

From 1912 to 1956, Essaouira was part of the French protectorate of Morocco. Mogador was used as a base for a military expedition against Dar Anflous, when 8,000 French troops were located outside the city under the orders of Generals Franchet d'Esperey and Brulard. The Kasbah of Dar Anflous was taken on 25 January 1913. In 1930, brothers, Michel and Jean Vieuchange used Essaouira as a base before Michel set off into the

Western Sahara Western Sahara is a territorial dispute, disputed territory in Maghreb, North-western Africa. It has a surface area of . Approximately 30% of the territory () is controlled by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR); the remaining 70% is ...

to try to find Smara. France had an important administrative, military and economic presence. Essaouira had a Franco-Moroccan school, still visible in Derb Dharb street. Linguistically, many Moroccans of Essaouira speak French fluently today.

Recent history

In the early 1950s, film director and actor Orson Welles stayed at the Hotel des Iles just south of the town walls during the filming of his 1952 film adaptation of '' Othello''. Beginning in the late 1960s, Essaouira became something of a hippie hangout. The ''skala'' or fortified harbor was used as a filming location in the third season of the American TV series ''

Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy Drama (film and television), drama television series created by David Benioff and for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of high fantasy novels by ...

'', representing Astapor.

Geography

Iles Purpuraires with Mogador island in the background seen from the Essaouira citadel

Essaouira is protected by a natural bay partially shielded from wave action by the Iles Purpuraires. A broad sandy beach extends from the harbour south of Essaourira, at which point the

Oued Ksob Oued Ksob is a river in western Morocco that discharges to the Atlantic Ocean on a broad beach slightly south of the city of Essaouira and slightly north of the village of Diabat. The river delta, mouth of the river, along with the nearby Iles Pur ...

discharges to the ocean; south of the discharge lies the archaeological ruin, the Bordj El Berod. The Canary Current is responsible for the generally southward movement of ocean circulation and has led to enhancement of the local

fishery Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a., fishing grounds). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish far ...

. The village of Diabat lies about five kilometres () south of Essaouira, immediately south of the

. The Essaouira-Mogador Airport is locaated some away from the town. File:Essaouira 9.76074W 31.50818N.png, Essaouira viewed from space File:RoadToEssaouira.JPG, The desert road between

Marrakesh Marrakesh or Marrakech (; , ) is the fourth-largest city in Morocco. It is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakesh–Safi Regions of Morocco, region. The city lies west of the foothills of the Atlas Mounta ...

and Essaouira File:Essaouira arganier (3) 1142.JPG, Argan tree near Essaouira File:Essaouira beach.jpg, Essaouira beach

Climate

Essaouira's climate is

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...

(''BSk/BSh''), with mild temperatures year round. The gap between highs and lows is small and summers are warm while winters are mild. Annual rainfall is usually . The highest temperature ever recorded in Essaouira was on 18 April 2017. The lowest temperature ever recorded was on 29 January 2005. The lowest maximum temperature ever recorded was on 15 February 2018. The highest minimum temperature ever recorded was on 13 October 2017. The maximum amount of precipitation recorded in one day was on 8 March 2013.

Economy

The medina is home to many small arts and crafts businesses, notably cabinet making and 'thuya' wood-carving (using roots of the Tetraclinis tree), both of which have been practised in Essaouira for centuries. The fishing harbour, suffering from the competition of Agadir and Safi, remains rather small, although the catches ( sardines, conger eels) are surprisingly abundant due to the coastal

upwelling Upwelling is an physical oceanography, oceanographic phenomenon that involves wind-driven motion of dense, cooler, and usually nutrient-rich water from deep water towards the ocean surface. It replaces the warmer and usually nutrient-depleted sur ...

generated by the powerful trade winds and the Canaries Current. Essaouira remains one of the major fishing harbours of Morocco. Essaouira is also a center of argan oil production.

Education

Franco-Moroccan school in Derb Dharb street Essaouira

There is a French international school in Essaouira, Groupe scolaire Eric-Tabarly.

Culture

Since 1998, the Gnaoua Festival of World Music is held in Essaouira, normally in the last week of June. It brings together artists from all over the world. Although focused on gnaoua music, it includes rock, jazz and reggae. Known as the "Moroccan Woodstock" it lasts four days and attracts around 450,000 spectators annually.

Sights

Jewish quarter "Mellah" of Essaouira's old medina * Bayt Dakira - "House of Memory" (Jewish museum) * Chaim Pinto Synagogue * Slat Lkahal Synagogue * Jewish cemeteries of Essaouira (old and new) **Gravesite of Rabbi Haim Pinto *

* Fortifications: ** Sqala du Port ** Sqala de la Kasbah * The most picturesque gates: ** Port de la Marine ** Bab Manjana with clocktower * Tagart beach (with sand dunes) * Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption church (catholic, operational) * Sidi Mogdoul mosque * Sidi Mogdoul lighthouse * Ben Youssef mosque

International relations

Essaouira is twinned with: * Changshu, China *

La Rochelle La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle'') is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime Departments of France, department. Wi ...

, France

Notable people

* Albert Almoznino, hand shadow artist * André Azoulay, adviser to the king * David Bensoussan, memoirist * David Hanania Pinto, rabbi * Edmond Amran El Maleh, writer * Jacques Amir, politician * Mahmoud Guinia, Gnawa musician * Meir Cohen, politician * Victor Elmaleh, businessman and athlete

Notes

External links

UNESCO World Heritage site: Medina of Essaouira (formerly Mogador)Website of the Urban Agency of Essaouira
{{Authority control Cities in Morocco Former Portuguese colonies Kingdom of the Algarve Phoenician colonies in Morocco Populated places in Essaouira Province Port cities and towns on the Moroccan Atlantic Coast Essaouira World Heritage Sites in Morocco Surfing locations