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Phoenician counter dating back to 814 BC, then under the Roman occupancy, Essaouira became famous for its production of «Purple dye» coming from the Murex shellfish. In the 16th century the Portuguese sailors renamed it Mogador and it became a very important trading centre.

In 1764 the sultan Mohamed ben Abdellah will call upon the French architect Théodore Cornut – disciple  of  Vauban – to build a new city, which he did and Essaouira deserves her name, meaning «the well drawn».

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The city was very wealthy until the second half of the 19th century, mainly due to the presence of a large Jewish community (up to 17.000 against only 10.000 Moslems!). But most of them left after the Six days war, and after a decline also of its fishing harbour – as the sardines shoals were drifting far more south – the city is born and alive again, mainly through culture (handicraft of Marquetry, painting, music festivals) and Tourism