Essaouira

Ocean Gateway to Morocco

Essaouira became known internationally in 1952 CE when Orson Welles chose it as the location for his film Othello. The sense of drama is echoed in the Atlantic waves crashing over rocky outcrops and the town’s fortified walls. In classical antiquity the port was popular with navigators who would pause there owing to the year round temperate climate.

In ancient times a Berber village, Thamusica, was established not far from the present town walls. And from the 12th century BCE the nearby islands featured on the sailing routes of the Phoenicians and Carthaginians. A piece of pottery with the name of General Mago proves the presence of the latter in circa 630 BCE.

During the time of the Roman Emperor Augustus, King Juba II of Morocco (then called Mauritania) assigned sailors to the islets and developed a salting industry. A dye called royal purple was also produced from the sea snail murex brandaris resulting in a new name for the area, the Purple Islands. In the 10th century CE Essaouira was named Amougdoul (The Well Guarded) after its Berber patron Sidi Mogdoul who is buried some two miles outside town. All goods from the Sous region and southern Morocco once passed through Mogdoul.

In the 15th century CE the area became a Portuguese trading centre and assumed the name Mogdoura, probably a corruption of the name of a local Muslim holy man Sidi Mogdoul. In 1516 the Portuguese built a small fortress - Castillo Reale.
In 1764 CE the Alouite Sultan Sidi Mohammed bin Abdullah decided to use the port as a naval base. The sultan assigned Theodore Cornut, a French engineer, to create a plan for a new town. This explains the originality of Essaouira with its grid plan layout surrounded by ramparts, patterned after St Malo in France. Mogador was given the new Arabic name Essaouira (Image) or Es Saouira (Fortified Place).

These days however the town has a population of 50,000 in a province of half a million people employed mainly in the agricultural sector. Fishing remains the principal commercial activity but there are also marquetry shops in the shadows of the ramparts on Skala Street..
Lying at the end of a long sandy beach the lively fishing port is the town’s focal point. Gaily painted fishing boats and brightly coloured boats piled up on the quayside are everywhere in this bustling area. Here trawlers are built in the traditional style of ancient dhows and fish and shellfish are auctioned every morning. The adjacent restaurants serve the freshest sardines in the country. The sea bastion by the harbour, the Skala du Port, is open to the public and it is worth climbing the ramparts to m?rvel at the view. The Skala divides the town into two distinct districts: two kasbahs, a mella and medina.

Though long having outgrown its ramparts Essaouira is an easy place to negotiate. Beyond the fishing harbour in the southwest is the town’s main square and social centre, Place Moulay Hassan. Here men congregate outside the Cafe de France while young people head for Café Sam’s. At the northeast end of town lies Bab Doukkalu and between the two run the two main streets, Rue Sidi Mohammed bin Abdullah and Avenue de L’Istiqbal /Rue Mohammed Zertouni.

Beneath the Skala ramparts the Carpenters’ Souk is accessed. Here craftsmen carve everything from bracelets, boxes and picture frames to large tables, chess sets and cabinets out of rose, cedar and thuya wood. Pieces of lemon wood, ebony and silver are worked onto the surface of objects from tiny jewellery cases to tea tables to create intricate geometric and arabesque patterns.

Essaouira is something of an artists’ centre. Moroccan artists who reside here include painters Houcine Miloudi, Hamza Fakir and Regragula Benhila. Their work is on display at Espace Othello in the kasbah along with sculptures by Mustapha Boumazzoughi, Mohammed Bonadaand Abdessamed Sadrun - plus pieces in glass by Boujemma Boufous.

Along with art Essaouira is quite a place for music. Local Gnaoua musicians play stringed musical instruments called guambi, decorated with marquetry, to accompany dancing. The annual music festival developed by Andre Azoulay features Moroccan and international artists and attracts tens of thousands of attendees. On the folkloric front one of the country’s finest folk troupes, members of the Haha, perform a ceremonial ahouach (war dance) during festivals and holidays.

Top end accommodation in town can be found at the Sofitel Essaouira Medina & Spa, a deluxe seafront hotel with private beach and two swimming pools. Guest rooms are decorated in white, blue or green Moroccan tiles and the spa offers a hammam, jacuzzi, solarium and thalassotherapy. Restaurants include Ailen which seves local Souri dishes, Arganier does health menus and cote plage serves fine grilled meat and seafood. Nearby the Golf de Mogador was designed by Gary player. +212 52 447 9000, “http://www.sofit?l.com” www.sofitel.com

Another option is to stay at a riad ( a fancy Moroccan maison d’hote). Hotel Riad al Medina was originally a pasha’s villa and has been lovingly restored to its original 18th century CE splendour. Nothing can beat breakfast on the riad’s rooftop followed by a game of tennis and spa session onsite. +212 24 475 907, www.riadalmadina.com
Hotel Villa Maroc is noted for its warm welcome and gastronomy. Says Marie Claire Maison, “At this hotel one feels at home in a world of simplicity and warmth, enhanced by the flavours of ancestral family cooking.” +212 524 47 31 47, www.villa-maroc.com

On the food front a good relaxing place to start your day is a slow breakfast at one of the many cafes in Place Prince Moulay Hassan. For lunch or dinner try Chez Sam,+212 34 475 907, a Moroccan institution known for its seafood. It overlooks the harbour at the far end of the port. Otherwise the rooftop restaurant of the Riad al Madina serves up an excellent lamb tagine. Le Taros is situated between the port and town and here you can sample classic French and Moroccan dishes on the candlelit panoramic terr?ce. Then you can always head back to the main square for coffee and a gooey local pastry or two. Delicious!

Further south are the sand dunes of Diabat where surfers have been coming for many years. You will find places to hire boardsailing equipment near Hotel Tafoukt along with centres which organize horseback riding. And if you have time to spare consider visiting the fishing village of Tarzahoute, the small town of Taroudannt which is the economic centre of the Sous region or Tafraoute, the base of walking tours in the high Anti-Atlas mountains.

No coverage of Essaouira would be complete without mentioning the new Mazagan Beach Resort. It lies some distance away though - 280 km up the coast from Essaouira at El Jadida and is 90km south of Casablanca. This oasis with luxurious gardens and ornamental pools set on a 7 km long beach is in the heart of a region which is still untouched by tourism – The Doukkala.

It offers 234 Deluxe King rooms and 234 Deluxe Twin Queen rooms with vibrant fabrics and brass four poster beds. Guests can choose from eight restaurants and there is a luxury spa, conference centre and baby and kids club. A Gary player designed golf course follows the contours of the beach. Here some 67 villas with ocean or green views will soon await their owners. +212 5 2338 8000, www.mazaganbeachresort.com