Blog #2.18 Historical Tour of Essaouira
After a winding three-hour drive up the Atlantic coast of Morocco, our team arrived in the beautiful historic city of Essaouira on June 7, 2023. Once we put our luggage down, we all rushed up to the 5th floor rooftop of the riad to take in the sweeping views of the old medina (walled city). That night we walked around the narrow city streets filled with tourists and Moroccans, buying, and selling clothes, food, jewelry, pottery, and much more – including argan oil.
View of Essaouira from the rooftop of the riad
The next morning everyone was excited to see more of the medina and learn about the city. We were met by our tour guide after breakfast, and we set off on a thorough retelling of the long history of Essaouira. As we walked, we crisscrossed in space and time from the initial construction of the city in 1765 to the latest TV episodes filmed there in 2022.
In 2014, nearly two and half centuries after construction of the city began, the population of Essaouira was 80,000. The exact meaning of the name Essaouira is still up for debate, but “swera” may be derived from the Arabic word soura, which means picture. Unlike other ancient Moroccan cities, Essaouira was designed by an architect. As the story goes, when the French architect showed King Mohammed 3rd his design for the medina, the king remarked it was “a well-designed small picture.” Our guide added that the name may also come from the local Amazigh language where it means small wall.
Group photo by the walls of Essaouira
As evidenced by the wind turbines visible in the distance and the kite surfers on the beach, Essaouira is well known for its wind. The non-windy season is September through March. Our visit coincided with the windiest season which runs from June through August. The wind, which was once vital for powering boats, along with the natural harbor is why the city was built here. It served as a major port from the 18th century forward and still boasts a thriving fishing industry.
Fishermen in Essaouira
Towards the end of the tour, we visited the historic Jewish center of Essaouira. This area is known as the Mellah, a name which is derived from the Arabic word for salt. In the past, the quarter housed 40 synagogues and a thriving Jewish population. While some of the population emigrated following the creation of Israel, many more left following the Six-Day War which increased tensions between Muslims and Jews across the world. While King Mohammed VI has urged Moroccan Jews to return to Morocco, few Jews are living in the quarter today. The Essaouira Mellah has, however, become a major Jewish pilgrimage site as over 2,000 members of the Jewish community come to celebrate the Hiloula of Rabbi Haïm Pinto annually. You can learn more about the Jewish history of Essaouira here!
Everyone was wiped from touring the city, and we headed off to rest a little during the heat of the day, waiting for the evening when the media really comes alive. While the medina in Essaouira is always busy, it is especially lively at night! Compared to the United States, Morocco has much more of a street culture as people head outside to pass the time enjoying the sunset, playing music, praying at the mosques, sitting down for slow dinners and tea, and just strolling around with friends and family.
-By Shaye Soifoine, PhD Anthropology student at USF
