Essaouira - Mogador
Essaouira (Amazigh: ⵎⵓⴳⴰⴹⵓⵔ Taṣṣurt, Arabic: الصويرة, as-Ṣawīra)(or Mogador like the Portuguese used to name it) is one of the most beautiful town on the west coast of Morocco, here are the best places of Essaouira in videos:
Part one
Part two
And here is a video about the Gnaoua (or Gnawa) music festival that happens every year in Essaouira:
More about Essaouira from Wikipedia:
Essaouira (Amazigh: ⵎⵓⴳⴰⴹⵓⵔ Taṣṣurt, Arabic: الصويرة, as-Ṣawīra) is a city in the western Moroccan economic region of Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, on the Atlantic coast. The city was known in the time of 11th-century Geographer al-Bakri and, as he reported, was called Sidi Megdoul. In the 16th-century, a corruption of this name became known to the Portuguese as Mogador or Mogadore. The Amazigh and Arabic names mean the wall, a reference to the fortress walls that originally enclosed the city.
History:
Archaeological research shows that Essaouira has been occupied since prehistoric times. The bay at Essaouira is partially sheltered by the island of Mogador, making it a peaceful harbor protected against strong marine winds.
Recent years:
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. A bas-relief of Orson Welles is located in a small square just outside the medina walls close to the sea. It is in a neglected state being covered in bird droppings, graffiti and with a broken nose. In addition, the dedication plaque below it has been stolen (as of Dec 2008). Several other film directors have utilised Essaouira's photogenic and atmospheric qualities.
Beginning in the late 1960s, Essaouira became something of a hippie hangout. Despite common misconception, Jimi Hendrix's song "Castles Made of Sand" was written in 1967, two years before he visited the castles of Essaouira. Cat Stevens also spent some time in Essaouira.
Essaouira today:
The Medina of Essaouira (formerly "Mogador") is a UNESCO World Heritage listed city, an example of a late 18th-century fortified town, as transferred to North Africa by European colonists. Major problems currently are deterioration of the extensive ramparts around the Medina; and widespread violation of laws against motorized vehicles (primarily mopeds) within the Medina.
Full Article here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essaouira
