THE MEDINA OF ESSAOUIRA
Small but charming, the Medina of Essaouira which starts from the Moulay
El-Hassan plazza offers charming strolls coloured in the medium of small
commercial streets. One allots it to the architect from Avignon, Cornut. The
maroco-Portuguese style, the large mosque, the belfry, the shaded terraces, the
maures coffees, the souks, are as many different places for the pleasure the
eyes. With the wire of your walk, you will see the cabinetmakers working the
thuja close to the ramparts,then you will reach the sqala of the city where the
superb ramparts, with their Spanish bronze guns, seem to protect the city
against imaginary invaders.
ESSAOUIRA BEACHES
It extends on more than 6 kilometers. One can have a nap the under the sun in
the best conditions even if it is disadvised coating sun lotions because of the
wind, which reigns as a Master. bewaie however with the bathe because even if it
is supervised the months of multitude, the very strong movements are often
dangerous. Only the surfers find there really their account, with imposing waves
and a very appreciated wind. All along the beach, small coffees and restaurants
settled recently, proposing lunches and snacks on sunny terraces where it is
good to setdown and drink a mint tea.
ESSAOUIRA GENARALITES
Located in the area of Bab El Sebbagh (door in the east of Medina), the
tanners work since decades the skins in enormous tanks. The nauseous odor which
escapes from it is due to lime and a bath to soften the skins, made up of urine
of animals and fiente of pigeons. Take mint bits or a perfumed handkerchief.
GNAOUAS
The gnaouas are the descendants of black slaves of Morocco. Their geographical
origin would be Sudan. It is a music of fright similar to the voodoo or the
macumba. The Morrocans, in particular the young people, adore this style of
music (near to the blues) throbbing, melancholic and (envoûtant) and ruent
themselves each year in June to the gnaoua festival of the city. The singers
are adulated and certain are known universally and come in Essaouira sometimes
from so far, as genuine stars. They use the guenbri, drums (ganga) and the
crotales (qraqeb) formed of two half-spheres (out of iron) fixed on a bar and
which one strikes one against the other in a particular rate/rhythm. The gnaoua
is a music without borders.
THE REMPARTS AND THE SQALA OF THE KASBAH
Essaouira was built at the same time as its ramparts which were used very a long
time as defense against the invaders. This enclosure is crenelated and opening
of broad doors. Side sea, it remains still a bastion with its guns. The
fortifications point out those of Vauban in France. They surround of the
districts whose plans were drawn by Theodore Cornut. Along these ramparts, you
will not be able to escape the visit from the sqala from the kasbah, with its
guns of bronze to the weapons of Aragon and Castille and its 200 meters length
platform; this old Portuguese battery is certainly the place more symbolic
system and picturesque of Essaouira.
ISLAND MOGADOR
If you go to the port and that you look at the sea, you must notice two islands
and tiny small islands very close to the coast. This archipelago is called
islands of Mogador or islands purpuraires. The largest island of 30 hectares,
called "island of the Pharaon", shelters an unused prison built at the end of
last century as well as a mosque with its minaret and some abandoned
fortifications. The site is a reserve of birds (inter alia gulls and seagulls),
and in particular a place of reception for the Eléonore falcons. The islands
also have a role of protection of against of the powerful waves of the
Atlantic.