The famous city of Essaouira is on a base founded formerly by the Phoenicians in the 7th century BC.
It was in the 1st century BC that Juba 2, who founded the city of Volubilis made it a center of manufacture of purple dye made from murex (type of mollusk).
In the 15th century, the Portuguese made it a military and commercial bridge and named it Mogador. However, the city itself was not built until 1760 after Sultan Mohamed 3 built a marine base there. The city, the port and the fortifications were built by a French architect who had already worked for Louis 15, his name is Théodore Cornut and was inspired by the style of European fortresses.
On the small islands known as ‘purpuraire islands’ visible from the coast, there is a bird sanctuary home to gulls and endangered species. You can also see the ruins of a 19th century prison.
12km south of Essaouira, you will find the beach of Sidi Kouiki, frequented and known by its surfers. There is also the mausoleum of a holy man recognized at the time for his healing power of infertile women. Namely that a pilgrimage with many devotees takes place there every year around mid-August.
