MEDINA

Essaouira's old town was once accessed via the Porte de la Marine. Built in 1769 by Sultan Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah as part of the city's reconstruction, it linked the city to the embarkation docks, while remaining safe from the fire of any ships stationed offshore. From the top of its Vauban-style walls, a viewpoint encompasses the entire medina and the port. Bab el-Sebaa (the Lion Gate), at the corner of avenue Mohammed V, marks the entrance to the old kasbah, once housing the sultan's administration and European consuls. Deliberately lose yourself in the streets leading off from this square and discover this medina of shops and art galleries. Essaouira's souks are scattered along the wide, blue-and-white streets. Retrace your steps as far as the Grand Mosque: here begins Rue Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah, the main shopping street, with Avenue de l'Istiqlal running parallel. These two thoroughfares are constantly bustling with craftsmen's workshops, where merchants harangue passers-by from behind mounds of spices and vegetables. Further along, the streets narrow and the whitewash gives way to ochre plaster. Many facades still feature ^18th-century Andalusian and Portuguese-style ironwork, while ashlar portals are carved and adorned with zellij. Near rue Mohammed el Gorry, ruelle Siaghine is home to the jewellers' souk, which has fallen into disuse, but was once one of the most famous places for its Jewish jewellers. There are still a few fine pieces chiselled in gold and silver filigree, but today's jewellers only work in silver, most of their jewelry coming from elsewhere. As you stroll along, you'll come across a number of houses that have played host to glorious pages of history, reminding us that the sultan's whim led him to build new villas for Western ambassadors. At the corner of rue Mohammed Diouri, for example, you'll find a beautiful villa (formerly the French consulate) where Charles de Foucauld stopped in 1844. In the same street, on the site of today's Sqala cinema, was the more cramped Maison de l'Allemagne, where the Prussian consul used to hold auctions for damaged goods. An architectural heritage worth protecting.