The fortress of Essaouira-one of the main attractions of the popular Moroccan resort town of Essaouira, which lies on the coast of the Atlantic ocean. The peculiar charm of the city makes this settlement is perhaps the most beautiful place in Morocco.

The first settlers who lived in this territory were the Phoenicians (VII century BC). In XV century the town was settled by the Portuguese, who built his citadel here, calling it Mogador. The building played an important military and commercial role, hence the Portuguese traded with all the countries of the African continent. On the city was rebuilt in the middle of the XVIII century by Sultan Mohammed II of the Alawite dynasty, which has decided to make it a naval base. By his order the French architect Theodore Root, before it created several castles in Languedoc, has developed a town plan, which was developed settlements.

Those walls that can be seen today was built in 1756 at the same time the construction was called on behalf of the village of Essaouira. In 1912, the French again renamed the Fort in Mogador, and in 1956 after independence, she again returned to the old name of Essaouira.

The fortress of Essaouira's walled with beveled teeth, whose main goal was to protect the local population from the raids of pirates from the sea. Outwardly, these walls are similar to the classic European fortifications, the inner part was made in the style of traditional Muslim architecture. Within the citadel there are some fortress gates. The main gate to the Medina of Essaouira.

Fortification consists of two fortifications (ramparts) - one of which is on the South and second in the North. Especially interesting looks North Bastion, which houses the 200-meter Playground with an old Spanish cannon, which was fired at by the seaside. From there you can see the crashing waves on the rocks and the famous Purple of the island. It is here that the famous Director Orson Welles in the 1949 film "Othello".