Essaouira tour

GLOBAL MOROCCO EXPLORATION SHORT TOURS_ ESSAOUIRA

Essaouira the town where the trade winds play

Essaouira is a port city and resort on Morocco’s Atlantic coast. The navy blue of its sky, its rosy ochre ramparts, and white and blue painted houses make up of it a perfect piece of art. Its medina is protected by 18th-century seafront ramparts called the Skala de la Kasbah. Behind its walls, protected from the wind, a timeless world persists.  Old brass guns line the walls overlooking the Atlantic and watch over the old town.

The aromatic scent of Thuya wood lead you to it craftsmen in their little workshops to learn about the woodcarving art. Set around a table and watch the intricacy of their art, enjoy a glass of mint tea and discover a new realm of conviviality.

Well-known for its culture and its festival (The Gnaoua World Music Festival) the town where the trade winds play is also a heaven for surfers from all corners of the world. And a much beloved bathing resort that attracts thousands of holidaymakers every year. More than just a town, Essaouira is a muse, a source of undying inspiration.

Essaouira was known as Mogador.   In the 18th century many visitors came to Mogador by ship and entered the medina by the great gateway Bab El Mersa of Scala the Port, which was ordered to be built in 1766 by Sultan Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah the founder of the modern city of Essaouira. But the Mogador Bay and its islands have been occupied since prehistoric times.

The archipelago was discovered by the Phoenicians in the 7th century BC. It was used as a port for the Carthaginian sailor Hanno in 500 BC and served for many centuries as a base route from Cap- Vert to the Equator.

The Islands of Mogador (Iles Purpuraires) was dominated by the Romans in 146 BC. The King of Maurtania, Juba II sent a contingent to "the Purple Island" to re-establish the ancient Phoenician dye manufacturing process. Towards the end of the 1st century BC, under Juba II, the great builder of Volubilis, it became a center for production of salted fish and purple dye – for which latter the “Purple Islands” were famed up until the fall of the Roman Empire.

The Portuguese established a major trading post there in the Middle Ages, baptizing the town Mogador. In 1541, it came under Saadian rule before falling into the hands of the Alaouites. The city was renamed Essaouira, and a new town was built there in 1765 by Sultan Mohamed Ibn Abdallah. This was the beginning of a long period of prosperity, and the city remained a major center for foreign trade until the early 20th century.

Today Essaouira is a haven of peace that inspires artists from all over the world. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, its medina remains untouched by the passing centuries, seemingly impervious to the ravages of time. Behind its walls hides a luminous city of winding alleyways, picturesque little squares and whitewashed houses. Used by Orson Welles as the location for his film of “Othello”, it has inspired and enthralled a host of later filmmakers. Ridley Scott, for one, recreated Jerusalem here for his film “Kingdom of Heaven”. In the 1960s and 70s it became a playground for Jimi Hendrix and numbers of his fellow musicians, and continues to