Essaouira

Did You Know?

• Since 1998, the Gnaoua Festival of World Music has been held in Essaouira, attracting around 450,000 spectators annually.
• The name Mogador may originate from the Phoenician word Migdol, meaning 'small fortress'.
• A Muslim saint named Sidi Mogdoul was buried in Essaouira during the Middle Ages, probably giving rise to the name Mogador.

Name and etymology

The city's name in Moroccan Arabic is aṣ-Ṣwiṛa, a diminutive of ṣuṛ meaning wall or rampart. In Classical Arabic the form is as-Suwayrah, spelled with sīn.

History

Archaeological evidence shows occupation since prehistoric times. The Carthaginian navigator Hanno established a trading post here in the 5th century BCE. A Roman villa and 3rd-century coinage have been found on Mogador island. The Portuguese held several Moroccan fortresses, most of which were abandoned after 1541. During the 16th century other European powers failed to take the locality. The modern city was built from 1760 under Sultan Mohammed bin Abdallah, who employed architects including Théodore Cornut and Ahmed al-Inglizi, using French captives from a failed expedition. It became Morocco's chief commercial port and diplomatic capital from the late 18th to mid-19th century.

Geography

Essaouira lies on a natural bay sheltered by the Iles Purpuraires. A broad sandy beach extends south to the Oued Ksob, beyond which is the archaeological site Bordj El Berod. The Canary Current drives a southward ocean flow that supports local fisheries. The village of Diabat is about 5 km south. The climate is semi-arid with mild temperatures year-round; annual rainfall is typically 300 to 500 mm. The highest recorded temperature is 35.7 °C and the lowest 2.2 °C.

Economy

The medina contains many small workshops for cabinet making and thuya wood-carving, crafts practised for centuries. The fishing harbour, though smaller than those of Agadir and Safi, remains a major one for Morocco, with catches including sardines and conger eels. Essaouira is also a centre for argan oil production.