Essaouira
Coat of arms of Essaouira
Heraldry
Essaouira
Fortified Medina of Essaouira, a UNESCO World Heritage Site by the Atlantic.
names
Arabic name الصويرة (aṣ-Ṣuwirah)
Administration
Country Flag of Morocco Morocco
Region Marrakech-Safi
province Essaouira
Essaouira town
Mayor
Mandate Hicham Jebbari (RNI)
(2015-2021)
Governor Jamal Mokhtatar
(2014-)
Postcode 44000
Demography
Gentile Souiri (fem. souirie)
Population 77,966 inhabitants (2014)
Density 866 inhabitants/ km2
Geography
Coordinates 31 ° 30 '47 "North, 9 ° 46' 11" West
Altitude Min. 0 m
Max. 50 m
Area 90 km2
UTC + 0 time zone
Various
Touristic site (s) Port of Essaouira
Medina of Essaouira
Location
Geolocation on the map: Morocco
See the topographic map of Morocco
City locator
Essaouira
See the administrative map of Morocco
Connections
Website Official website [archive]
edit View the model documentation
Essaouira (formerly Mogador, Arabic: الصويرة aṣ-Ṣawirah,), is a port city and a municipality of Morocco, capital of the province of Essaouira, in the region of Marrakech-Safi. It is located at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean and has 77,966 inhabitants in 2014.
Although the region of Essaouira was inhabited since antiquity by the Berber natives, Phoenicians and Romans, it is only from the sixteenth century that the site is really occupied by the Portuguese, who build in 1506 a fortress and ramparts quickly abandoned before the fierce resistance of the local population.
The foundation of the city of Essaouira proper is the idea of Sultan Mohammed ben Abdellah, who orders its construction from 1760. Several renowned architects participate, such as Theodore Cornut, who draws the plan of the city. Once built, it continues to grow and has a golden age and exceptional development, becoming the largest commercial port in the country, but also its diplomatic capital between the late eighteenth century and the first half of the nineteenth century. It is also becoming a multicultural and artistic city.
The situation of the city deteriorates considerably between the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century following the bombing it suffered in 1844 and with the installation of the French protectorate. It is losing its importance and is no longer the international port and diplomatic capital of the country. After independence, the departure of the Jewish community also causes a very significant economic loss to the city.
