Harbour walls and the memory of traders and musicians meet where land routes reach the sea.
Stories of the cityBoats, ropes and working equipment crowd the frame. Behind them lies an eighteenth-century planned port whose story connects Atlantic trade, inland African routes and the communities that helped shape the city.
Read the storyWalls divide two sides, yet they also help explain the relationship between them. On Essaouira’s coast, read fortification beside planning and exchange, then compare this open horizon with the close lanes of a mountain town.
Read the storyMoving from harbour to music opens the story to voices, memory and social and spiritual practices. Gnawa is a living tradition beyond any single city, requiring attention to context as well as enjoyment of rhythm.
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