Music and festival - Essauoira
by pep2
As the gnawa-music is presented in another tip on Essaouira, I can just add, that I've been visiting a couple of times during the music-festival in June -- and for sure, it can be recommended !! The music of cause is wonderful -- but there is also a great atmosphere of joy and exitement in the town during these days.
If you want to have a greater knowledge of the music and have a sense of playing yourself, I can recommend you a visit in Hamid's shop in the center of the old Madina.
He is selling instruments for gnawa and other kinds of African music, he knows a lot about it -- and he loves to tell about the music, and even better - he likes to make his visitors play it, and it's really funny ! You will not get into som unpleasent situation or feel any kind of pressure to buy anything, just enjoy and relax. And play the music! Hamid is working hard to learn english -- and he is pretty good at it.
I can not remember the name of the small alley where his shop is located -- but it is easy to find: Go to the main street in the madina, right in the center, close to the silver-market - I think that if you ask for Hamid and his "African Shop" you will find it. In one of my photos you can see Hamid pointing to the alley from the main street ! -- Good luck, and enjoy.
Sorting the Argan fruits.
by JLBG
The "Union des Coopératives des Femmes pour la production et la commercialisation de l’huile d’Argane et des produits agricoles" (UCFA) produces pure traditional argan oil and other products under the trade name "Tissaliwine". The Union comprises four cooperatives with over 150 women. The participating villages are within the Arganerie Biosphere Reserve, officially recognized by the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere program in 1999. The following pictures are not mine but taken from a leaflet attached to an Argan oil bottle. The first step is to sort the fruits and take the almond out.
The Castle in the Sand
by tord
The old fort is out of town along the beach and it's a pleasant stroll along the sand. If you haven't already tried a camel ride there is the possibility of taking a camel ride out to the castle. You need to watch the tides as you can get cut off and stranded on the castle walls.............. but there's worse places to be stranded!
It's often said that this is the castle Jimi Hendrix sang about in "Castle in the sand" but I understand that he first visited Essaouira after he had written the song. Pity that as it would make a good story.
The Medina Street
by amsterdam_vallon
When entering one of the monumental gates, Bab Sbâa, Bab Marrakech or Bab Doukhala, you find yourself in the midst of an animated and joyful crowd, where everybody is going about his own business. There are no motor vehicles here, everything is carried by carts sometimes drawn by mules. What fascinates visitors are the white-washed house walls, the blue doors and windows which are reminiscent of Mediterranean islands. Owing to the straight main streets, you will have no problem finding your way and even if you get lost in the numerous small lanes, sooner or later you will find a main street again... or a dead-end.
An entrance in the medina
by JLBG
This is one of the entrances into the medina. As it is not the main one, it is very quiet and there is nearly nobody strolling. There is also another reason that we will discover better on next picture. This part of the town was preparing to be a cinema set and walking through the masonry work was not easy !
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Beautiful decorated pottery
From Ranch de Diabat
Sunset
The fortress
