Gardens of Marrakech

Menara Gardens

Until the end of the 19th century, Marrakech was known as the "garden city", because of its huge gardens and the immense palm grove surrounding it. The majority of the gardens, which are called "agdal", were not just recreational, but actual functioning orchards. They were equipped with large ponds for irrigation, and pavilions where the monarchs could rest. Today it is the gardens, the palm grove (Palmeriae)of 150,000 palm trees planted by the Almoravids and the incomparable setting of the mighty snow covered Atlas Mountains (second highest in Africa) which give a special quality to this unique city which gave its name to Morocco.



The Almoravids founded Marrakech in 1060 and did not take long to turn it into the metropolis of an empire that stretched from Algeria to the Atlantic and from the Ebro to the Draa. In 1106, Ali Ibn Yusuf urbanised the city. He brought the water down from the mountains using a network of khettara, underground canals. He paved the streets. He built the mosque that still bears his name and which became the main pole in the urban agglomeration. He built a wall around the city, which still stands today, the 14 km of ramparts.



Gardens are the conceptual key to the development of Arab city architecture. In the middle ages, historians describing these towns praised the walkways, the orchards and the cultivation of plants surrounding the town. Everywhere, the model of the garden city prevailed - from Damascus to Baghdad, from Cordoba to Fez - houses appeared like cubes nesting in an ocean of green. Arabs associated gardens with urbanism in their towns. Indeed the name of the capital of Saudi Arabia "Riyadh" means the garden city.








Koutabia Mosque and gardens

In a hot climate the idea of a secluded garden with water at its centre was a haven from the heat and noise and in fact the word so redolent with meaning and symbolism in our culture, “Paradise” comes from the Persian for a water garden. From the time of the Achaemenid dynasty the idea of an earthly paradise spread through Persian literature and example to other cultures, both the Hellenistic gardens of the Seleucids and tby he Ptolemies in Alexandria. The Avestan word pairidaêza-, Old Persian *paridaida-, Median *paridaiza- (walled-around, i.e., a walled garden), was transliterated into Greek paradeisoi, then rendered into the Latin paradisus, and from there entered into European languages, e.g., French paradis, German Paradies, and English paradise. The word entered Semitic languages as well: Akkadian pardesu, Hebrew pardes, and Arabic firdaws.



As the word expresses, such gardens would have been enclosed. The garden's purpose was, and is, to provide a place for protected relaxation in a variety of manners: spiritual and leisurely (such as meetings with friends), essentially a paradise on earth. The Persian word for "enclosed space" was pairi-daeza, a term that was adopted by Christian mythology to describe the Garden of Eden or Paradise on earth.




Marrakech, known as the "Red City or Al Hamra," is for most visitors defined by two sensations the dust and bustle of the Medina and Souks and the quiet and beauty of the city’s gardens. There are the great public gardens and then there are the Riads or “Garden Houses.” From the outside just a doorway in a cul de sac or Djerb but inside there is a cool courtyard garden with a pool, fountain, overhanging balconies and seating niches in which to relax, read or smoke a shisha.


Atlas Mountains

The town of Marrakech held an impressive reputation as a green capital for nine centuries. It is in this city that the art of gardens was born in the twelfth century. A new style, the Almohad style, appeared at that time, with big orchards, deep ponds, water monuments, pavilions, all contained within fortifications and enclosures. The creators of these gardens knew how to make a garden, like a dream corner or piece of paradise, in a desert location. The gardens of Aguedal and Menara are remarkable monuments because of their age, but also the originality of their style, the value of their architectural compositions, growth and landscaping. Built in the 12th century, the same period as Koutoubia de Marrakech, the Hassan Tower of Rabat and the Giralda of Seville, they are among the most ancient gardens in the whole of the Arab world.




Palmeriae

The pride and joy of Marrakech are its gardens which are taken care of with an age-old passion that dates back to the days of the Almoravids. The truth is that there wouldn't even be a palm tree in Marrakech if these sovereigns hadn't started planting them. Since then, the number of parks has multiplied and no one here finds it strange that a garden, like a building, can boast antique origins. This is the case of the Aguedal, a word that means garden, created in the XII century by the Almohad Abd el-Moumen. Much smaller and cosier, the garden of the Menara has a pavillion surrounded by cypresses which seems to have been the place where the sultan met his mistresses. As for Marrakech’s famous palm grove, which has an area of 13,000 hectares, it has no less than 150,000 trees.




Jardin Aguedal

The Jardin Aguedal on the western edge of the Medina has grown to more than 400 hectares since its 12th century founding. The walled gardens boast loads of olive trees, fruit trees, glittering pools, minzahs, and shaded areas to enjoy a bite to eat. The Aguedal Gardens, which began life in the 12th century as an orchard and were enlarged in the 19th century, when they were enclosed by their distinctive pisé walls, made from packed earth. The gardens are irrigated by a number pools and ditches, supplied by a network of underground channels that bring water down from the Atlas Mountains. There are a series of linked gardens, one leading to the next, with an orange grove and olive plantation as well as the ubiquitous palms trees.



Gardens are a popular destination for picnicking and unwinding among plants and flowers that seem to hold the population captive. Menara Gardens is the most popular of these venues, though the site is more an olive grove than field of flowers. One of the highlights is the lovely tiled minzah (pavilion) that shades a pool.



The garden isn’t as much as a garden as it is a farm. The 200-acre area is filled with fruit and olive trees and it a nice place to escape for an afternoon picnic if you happen to be visiting during the hotter summer months. Like the Aguedal Gardens, Menara was constructed before the 1200s. Only later was the central pool dug out and used as a royal reservoir. The Saadian Pavilion is open to the public for a small donation and it is said that royal guests were able to meet with their concubines here for romantic escapades. Indeed one of the most emblematic photos of Marrakech is of the Saadian Pavillion with the reservoir in front and the incomparable backdrop of the snow capped Atlas Mountains.


Jardins Marjorelles

The small botanical garden known as Jardins Majorelle most resembles what Westerners think of as a garden, perhaps because it was founded by Frenchman (and artist) Jacques Majorelle in the 1920s. Here you’ll find bright colours and strongly perfumed plants including cacti, bamboo, and bougainvillea. Interestingly, the ashes of fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent were scattered here upon his death in 2008. The garden contains one of the more important collections of plants of his era where plants of the five continents are exhibited in an enchanting setting.




The uniqueness of the place lies in the combination of a luxurious vegetation and architectural elements combining restraint and traditional Moroccan elements. Jacques Majorelle was born in 1886 within a family of artists. His father, Louis Majorelle, was a celebrated cabinetmaker of Nancy. Inspired by his father’s artistic friends he enters the Academy of Fine Arts of Nancy in 1901, and then goes to the Julian Paris Academy. Inspired by the prevailing fashion of the "easel in nature", he is initially inspired by Brittany. It is later in Spain, where he goes to recover from tuberculosis, that he discovers his passion for the south.




Jardins Majorelle

After Majorelle’s death in 1962 the garden remained open to the public but lack of maintenance and money led to its decline. In 1980 Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, until there visitors and admirers of the Majorelle garden, purchased it, thus saving it from real estate speculators whose concrete blight had devastated the great inheritance of Marrakech’s gardens. Restoration work started funded by these generous new benefactors and in January 2001 a trust under the discreet patronage of Pierre Bergé et Yves Saint Laurent guarantees the future of these unique gardens. Since the Eighties, the blue workshop, conceived in 1931 by the architect Paul Sinoir houses the Islamic Art Museum. This museum displays the personal collection of Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Lauren. It exhibits objects of Islamic art coming from Maghreb, Orient, Africa and Asia. In this extraordinary collection we can admire ceramics and potteries of a great value, weapons and magnificent jewellery, textiles, carpets, woodworks and other treasures. A space is also devoted to the works of Jacques Majorelle, creator of the garden.

See also;

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2009/02/eileen-grays-armchair.html





To my mind the combinations of amazing and eclectic planting and vibrant colour in an enclosed haven with cooling water and enticing vistas makes for a unique garden and setting which is both out of place and at the same time at one with the great Persian traditions of gardens as a place apart, a soothing vision of happiness. Its setting in this great and unique Arab and Berber city with its superb public and private gardens reflecting Man’s inner soul adds to the riches and sensation of this place apart. And in the midst of this special place this is a place apart, one artists vision which others have fallen in love with and lavished with care and thought. Truly this garden stands as a vision of Paradise and no visit to the Red City is complete without sitting in this cooling space and allowing it to work its magic.


A Garden Sage

See also;

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2009/05/jardins-marjorelle-marrakech.html




El Badi Palace

Sadly, as with so many historical buildings, the El Badi Palace in Marrakech has not survived over the years. Its ruins are a cruel reminder of the destruction of war, and while walking through the ruins one is still able to get a sense of how magnificent the palace used to be. The layout and descriptions of how the El Badi Palace once looked conjures up feelings of great regret, as it must have been one of the most spectacular structures in Morocco. Despite its misfortune, the El Badi Palace is still a popular attraction n Morocco, as the layout of the palace and some of its features can still be seen.



Ahmad I al-Masur became the sultan of Morocco in 1578, during the reign of the Saadi dynasty. His rule lasted until his death in 1603. In celebration of their victory at the Battle of Three Kings, the El Badi Palace was commissioned and constructed began in 1578. It took approximately twenty-five years for the massive palace to be constructed, and the riches and decoration were so overwhelming that it took Alaouite Sultan Mawlay Ismail twelve years to destroy. Mawlay used the pieces from the El Badi Palace to create his own palace in Meknes, leaving just the shell of the palace behind, which has become a historical landmark in Marrakech.


Storks nesting on the ramparts of El Badi Palace

It is said that the palace once had three hundred and sixty rooms and was decorated in Sudanese gold, ivory, Italian marble, semi-precious stones and cedar wood. Visitors to the palace will still be able to walk through the courtyard with its large pools and sunken gardens, even though the fountains that once graced this courtyard are no longer there. The small dungeon with four cells, where the sultan kept his prisoners, has also survived and can be viewed. The palace that used to host lavish parties and royal gatherings is still the venue for music and festivities, as the National Festival of Popular Arts is hosted here annually. The entrance fee for the El Badi Palace is ten Dirham and visitors to Morocco are recommended to explore this breathtaking historical monument and discover the beauty of these ruins. Just like the Ravens at the Tower of London the Badi Palace has its permanent avian residents bit in this case they are large and impressive storks who find the safe nesting in the old ramparts and the pools in the grounds an irresistible combination.




La Mamounia Gardens

Many visitors to Morocco’s most prestigious hotel, La Mamounia in Marrakech don’t realise that the hotel took the name of the gardens it was built in. The hotel takes its name from Prince Moulay Mamoun, and was built on the 20-acre park given to him as a wedding present in the 18th century. Orange and lemon trees, jacarandas, rose bushes and mimosa scent the air. The garden walls are draped with bougainvillea while scarlet hibiscus provides a splash of colour beside the swimming-pool. The hotel came later, built in 1923 by the French Railway company as a destination hotel at the end of the railway system, the combination of Moroccan architecture and Art Deco gives this grand hotel an exotic effervescence.



At the entrance, two be-fezzed doormen, in white pantaloons and pointy slippers, look as though they've stepped straight out of The Arabian Nights. Inside, the cool foyer is ornate, with marble pillars, chandeliers, enormous vases overflowing with roses, and rugs scattered across the marble floor. Running water tinkles softly from a fountain sprinkled with rose petals.








La Minzeh

But, instead of following the crowds and heading into the hotel’s “Churchill Bar for an expensive cognac head through the hotel and into the gardens. The gardens, with their sweet-smelling jasmine, beds of red and white roses, vegetable plots and wide pathways are alluring. You can glimpse the expansive, ozone-treated pool, a brilliant size for doing decent lengths and a poolside scene which would make the Beverly Hills Hilton seem shabby! Continue to the centre of the gardens to the charming rebuilt minzah. Here surrounded by the shade of orange you can try the Tchaba herbal teas, and admire the silver trays and spoons and the Limoges pottery used to serve them. We were served by just the loveliest young Moroccan woman and you can even try the local speciality of orange scented tea.





Finally there are the secret gardens which you rarely see in the centre of the houses named after the garden at their centre. The word Riad comes from the Arabian term for garden, "ryad". The ancient Roman city of Volubilis in northern Morocco provides a reference for the beginnings of riad architecture during the rule of the Idrisid Dynasty. The design of these courtyard dwellings in the coastal regions of Morocco were an adaptation and modification of the Roman villa.







When the Almoravids conquered Spain in the 11th century they sent Muslim, Christian and Jewish artisans from Spain to Morocco to work on monuments. These artisans brought with them the idea of arranging the rooms of the house around the central open-air courtyard that has become today's Riads. The riads were inward focused which allowed for family privacy and protection from the weather in Morocco. This inward focus was expressed in the central location of most of the interior gardens and courtyards and the lack of large windows on the exterior clay or mud brick walls. Entrance to these houses is a major transitional experience and encourages reflection because all of the rooms open into the central atrium space. In the central garden of traditional riads there are often four orange or lemon trees and possibly a fountain. The walls of the riads are adorned with tadelakt plaster and zellige tiles.



The gardens of Marrakech are like the city. They are often ancient such as the Menara and Agadal, two of the oldest gardens in the world, they are often hidden but above all they are unexpected, mysterious but always alluring.

See also; Marrakech Express

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2010/07/marrakech-express.html

Essaouira - Morocco's White City

Ramparts of Essaouira

Today in Marrakech we were up early as I headed off to a place I had long wanted to see; the Atlantic fortress town of Essaouira where Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Bob Marley hung out. It is 180 kms on a dead straight road from Marrakech and in its heyday the caravan trails of the Sahara centred on Timbuktu and then went across the Atlas to Marrakech and through the outside world through Essaouira. Originally known by its Portuguese name of Mogador the town provided providing one of the chain of forts and harbours to the Indies and Portuguese South America – today Brazil. As well as its associations with music and the swinging sixties Essaouira is an exceptional example of a late-18th-century fortified town, built according to the principles of contemporary European military architecture in a North African context. Since its foundation, it has been a major international trading seaport, linking Morocco and its Saharan hinterland with Europe and the rest of the world.



Interestingly as well it had been a major Jewish centre in Africa and is still a centre of Jewish pilgrimage and its famous music festival was the brainchild of a French expat whose Jewish roots are in this town which once boasted six Jewish neighbourhoods. Indeed whereas Marrakech is “Al Hamra”, The Red city, to this day Essaouira is painted in the Jewish colours of blue and white.


The beach

Essaouira has never really become a tourist trap. The narrow streets discourage cars, making Essaouira look much as it did in the days of sea pirates. The town where Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley liked to hang out is a perfect spot to unwind, eat great seafood and absorb the mellow vibe. The Medina of Essaouira (formerly Mogador) is a UNESCO World Heritage site an exceptional example of a late-18th-century fortified town, built according to the principles of contemporary European military architecture in a North African context. With the opening up of Morocco to the rest of the world in the later 17th century Essaouira was laid out by a French architect who had been profoundly influenced by the work of Vauban at Saint-Malo. It has retained its European appearance to a substantial extent. In its heyday it had a population of 70,000 Jews and 50,000 Muslims and even today it is painted in the Jewish colours of white and blue with 6 Jewish districts and the Star of David inscribed on gateways.


Star of David on gateway to Mellah

But to get there we first had to leave Marrakech very early in the morning at 07.30 hrs. At that time going through the suburbs you see another more workmanlike utilitarian city than the tourist town. It is still chilly as you go through the suburbs which have expanded rapidly with apartment dwellings. Many people are walking for public transport isn’t good and the buses are overloaded. At the roadsides stalls have grown up to sell drinks, tea, cigarettes and simple hearty meals of beans and bread. Slowly we free ourselves from Al Hamra and head on the single lane highway the 180 kms to Essaouira. The countryside for the first half or more of the journey is surprisingly fertile with extensive irrigation, market gardening and frequent poly tunnels. The towns on route are linear and rudimentary with no cosy retail experiences, rather pavement stalls, open sided shops and in behind regional markets where the farmers exchange goods and sell their produce on bare ground. All this however is changing with signs of development, the road being replaced by a two lane highway and halfway being bisected by the motorway due to be completed in 2010.




Argan Trees

Then the landscape changes as we drive into a throwback from the Terrasic Era, the forest of the Argan trees. The tree, a relict species from the Tertiary age 1.6 million years ago, is extremely well adapted to drought and other environmentally difficult conditions of south-western Morocco. The species Argania once covered North Africa and is now endangered and under protection of UNESCO. UNESCO declared a 25,900-square-kilometer of land between the Atlantic and the Atlas Mountains as a biosphere preserve and has provided money to manage the trees' preservation. Indeed so hardy and resilient is the tree that all vegetation can have died on the surrounding ground and hungry goats will climb the tree to eat the nuts.



However, a word of warning. Do not stop to take pictures of goats in trees for while solitary goats may climb trees they never do so naturally in groups. If you see a group in a tree they have been forced up it by somebody who will charge you to take photos. If you do stop and pay to take photos you are supporting animal cruelty. This fact rammed home to us when we rounded a corner and saw a farmer throw a terrified young goat into the branches of a tree and then use a stick and rocks to make it go further to join the others in the upper branches.




Coopérative Marjana

A far happier result from the Argan forest was found 15km from Essaouira at Coopérative Marjana, a women's argan co-op. Here you can take a tour to learn how argan oil is made, chat with the women, and pick up treats like homemade soap or 'amlou in the co-op store to bring home. Argan oil is oil produced from the kernels of the argan tree, endemic to Morocco, which is valued for its nutritive, cosmetic and numerous medicinal properties. At the Coopérative Marjana Berber women sit on the floor with rough rectangular stones between their knees cracking pits with rounded rocks. Each smooth pit contains one to three kernels, which look like sliced almonds and are rich in oil. The kernels are then removed and gently roasted. This roasting accounts for part of the oil's distinctive, nutty flavour. It takes several days and about 32 kilograms of fruit - roughly one season's produce from a single tree - to make only one litre of oil. The cosmetic oil, rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, is used for massage, facials and as an ingredient in anti-aging cream. The edible oil is extracted from roasted kernels.

All argan sold today is produced by these women's cooperatives which share the profits among the local women of the Berber tribe. The cooperatives have established with UNESCO’s help a sustainable ecosystem reforestation project so that the supply of argan oil will not run out and the income that is currently supporting the women will not disappear. The money is providing healthcare and education to the local women, and supporting the entire community as a whole. Indeed scientists believe that the ability of this time traveller from plant history holds the secret to reversing desertification in North Africa as bands of Argan trees are being planted in Morocco and Algeria to halt and ultimately reverse the encroachment of the Sahara.



Soon as we emerge from the Argan forest the landscape changes as we near the Atlantic on which Morocco has a lengthy and in this region a somewhat windy coastline due to the trade winds. Some clues to this are the wind farms on the heights and the fact that the nearest Canary Island almost in a straight line west is called Funteventura, Spanish for the strong winds. Then we stop on the viewpoint on the heights before we descend to Essaouira and we see on this tumultuous coastline the raison d’etre for the city, the sheltered harbour , the ramparts of the fortified town and the 7 kms of beach beloved of the windsurfers who flock here. With mounting excitement we descend and alight at the ramparts of the Medina, the walled city.



Essaouira is a very picturesque city with a bustling harbour, colourful souks, fine fish restaurants, a nice medina, and a culture that lends back to the sixties. It is sometimes nicknamed the white city, since in contrast to Marrakech; all of the houses are white. It is windy on the sea shore much of the time, which makes for a cool outdoors in summer, and has managed to develop without losing any of its charm.



The present city of Essaouira was only built during the 18th century. Mohammed III, wishing to reorient his kingdom towards the Atlantic for increased exchanges with European powers, chose Mogador as his key location. He directed a French engineer, Théodore Cornut, who had been captured and enslaved, and several other European architects and technicians, to build the fortress and city along modern lines. Originally called "Souira", "The small fortress", the name then became "Es-Saouira", "The beautifully designed". In laying out the town of Essaouira Cornut was influenced by the work of Vauban at Saint-Malo. It has retained its European appearance to a substantial extent.


Grand Place

From the time of its rebuilding by Muhammad II until the end of the nineteenth century, Essaouira served as Morocco's principal port, offering the goods of the caravan trade to the world. The route brought goods from sub-Saharan Africa to Timbuktu, then through the desert and over the Atlas Mountains to Marrakech. The road from Marrakech to Essaouira is a straight line, explaining the King's choice of this port among the many that the Moroccan coast offers. Mohammed ben Abdallah encouraged Moroccan Jews to settle in the town and handle the trade with Europe. Jews once comprised 40% of the population, and the Jewish quarter, or Mellah remains, containing many old synagogues. The town also has a large Jewish cemetery. The city flourished until the caravan trade died, outmoded by direct European trade with sub-Saharan Africa.



Essaouira is the site of an annual pilgrimage to the grave of Rabbi Chaim Pinto, whose home and synagogue are preserved as an historic and religious site, the Chaim Pinto Synagogue. The Simon Attias Synagogue is also still standing.



Essaouira possesses a classical European 'Grand Place,' beautifully preserved ramparts and naval fortifications, one of the finest remaining fortified ports in the world, and numerous monuments of historical interest left by figures ranging from sixteenth-century Portuguese explorers right up to Orson Welles and Jimmy Hendrix. Its architecture is both harmonious and yet varied, exposing at different times its French, Portuguese, and Berber heritages. Mixing historic buildings with award-winning twentieth century designs lining its long, serene boardwalk, Essaouira is, like Morocco itself, a study in contrasts - its impressive ramparts and cannon-studded walls enclosing tranquil winding streets, the bustle of the souks giving way to the crumbling grandeur of the ancient Mellah, mosques nestled next to churches and synagogues; and just minutes from the crash of ocean waves one finds the many great riads, their tranquil courtyards and soaring atriums restored to the golden age of Moroccan tilework and woodcraft, offering hospitality once again in the purest Moroccan tradition.


The former French Palais de Justice

For a fantastic picturesque view over the port, climb the sea bastions by the harbour, known as Skala du Port. Here, you can also see the Ile du Mogador, the walled Medina and capture the colourful, laid-back image of Essaouira. Skala du Port is open daily to the public from 8:30 – Noon & 14:30 – 18:00, admission is 10dh.



In the early 1950s film director and actor Orson Welles stayed at the Hotel des Iles just south of the town walls during the filming of his 1952 classic version of "Othello" which contains several memorable scenes shot in the labyrinthine streets and alleyways of the medina. Legend has it that during Welles's sojourn in the town he met Winston Churchill, another guest at the Hotel des Iles. Orson Welles's bust is located in a small square just outside the medina walls close to the sea.


Orson Welles sans nez

For a real local experience, head to the fish stalls at the end of the port off of the main square, Place Moulay Hassan. Check out the fresh catch of the day, grab a seat, and nibble on bread and fresh salad as you wait for your fish to be grilled. A great spot for groups, though tourists tend to get ripped off. Expect to pay about 40-70dh for your meal.


Fish stall by harbour



Many of the tourists visiting Essaouira are drawn by its sandy beach, but equally the strong wind known here as “alizee”. This creates much sought-after waves for wind-surfing and the town has effectively promotes itself as “Windy City, Africa”. In the summer, Essaouira is awash with windsurfers from across the globe taking part in international windsurfing contests.


Medina - fish market


Fresh chicken - with even fresher chickens behind

Essaouira is not only popular with youthful European backpackers. A great deal of chain hotels and villas have sprung up along the modern cornice by the beach, making it increasingly popular with independent travellers and packages. It remains, however, a pollution-free atmosphere and the best spot to unwind and relax after a visit to the cities, Marrakech or the desert. Essaouira has a long sandy beach that's typically too windy for sunbathing, but makes the perfect setting for a sunrise or pre-sunset stroll. If you do decide to hang out for the day, it's worth renting a beach chair (40dh) so you're able to use the bathrooms and order drinks at the cafe across the way.



Essaouira is famed for its high-quality and unique wood-carving workshops. To sample the great variety of carved woods, head down to Rue de Skala to see artisans painstakingly produce amazing marquetry work in the various marquetry and wood-carving workshops built into the ramparts. Goods range from little containers and boxes to magnificent chests and intricately carved tables. To gauge quality and prices I suggest you visit the emporium at Afalkay Art at Place Prince Moulay Al Hassan first to see the “prix fixe” before you attempt to haggle in the markets.


Wood workshop


The finished products

The Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival held for a week every June celebrate the music of the Gnaouas, the product of a mystic tradition with branches as widespread as Haitian voodoo and Brazilian Candomblé. Performers include the best local and international musicians of the genre. This is a festival devoted to the feats of the Gnaouas, best known for their tasselled hats, which spin wildly as the musicians’ rock. Originating through a cross-pollination of African magic and Islamic rituals, the Gnaoua brotherhoods form a structured unit around a master. He leads the music and dancing until the participants are in a trance induced by the mesmeric rhythms of the drums, the guenbri (a form of lute) and the hand-held garagab (metal castanets). During religious ceremonies, Gnaouas have been known to impale themselves on swords or beat their heads with iron balls without sustaining visible external injury. You can see how this music influenced earlier visitors anxious to discover their African roots, including musical roots.



With the French colonisation of Morocco in 1912 a great deal changed. The French moved the capital from Fez to Rabat as being on the coast it was easier to reinforce. In the major cities they built French “Ville Nouvelles” and French people were forbidden to live in the warren like Medina’s, the wide avenues of the Villes Nouvelles were far more machine gun friendly if there was a rebellion. With the building of the railway from Tangiers to Marrakech via Rabat and Casablanca, Essaouira lost both its economic and strategic importance and went into a long decline and slumber in the 20th Century. After the Second World War many of the Jewish population emigrated. In the Moroccan tradition of tolerance King Mohammed V asserted his family's traditional protection for the country's Jews and refused to allow the French to register Jews or enforce the racist Vichy laws in Morocco. From 1963 over 100,000 Jews emigrated to Israel and many French passport holders went to France.



In any event the trade on which the Jewish community depended has largely gone. Mellah, the name for Jewish areas is the Arabic word for salt for this commodity and the sugar trade were largely Jewish and indeed many gateways and buildings in the town still display the Star of David and other Jewish symbols.



There is evidence of dereliction and decay throughout the Medina however there is also evidence that in the past 10 years the tide has turned and Essaouira is enjoying a rebirth and a reinvention. The King has an ambitious development programme for Morocco and if you look at the website for the local province it is in seven languages with an offer for anybody to make suggestions for development projects – hardly that provincial! Tourism has increased here as in the rest of Morocco but the windsurfing fraternity have made the beach their own but here there are extensive developments of new hotels as visitors are attracted by the mix of new and old. Many expats have taken up residence in the Medina renovating old properties attracted by the good year round climate and the discount on Marrakech prices. The diaspora of the Jewish community still retain strong links with Essaouira and are behind many of the festivals and events which are raising its international profile. Others are investing in this town which is still very much in their hearts. So as this old lady awakens from her long slumber make a bee line for the White City to soak in its atmosphere, get the vibe and eat great seafood after testing yourself on the Atlantic breakers.