Agadir - The Pearl of Souss

No one can deny that Morocco is one of the countries that have some of the most amazing natural spaces, magnificent historical monuments, and richest cultural heritage in the world. Among the most beautiful cities in Morocco, Agadir is certainly very high up. In this article I will state some of the reasons behind the celebrity of this beautiful city.

Agadir is one of the most famous and beautiful cities in Morocco, and a favourite destination for tourists and visitors from several nationalities. There are many good reasons: first of all, the city is located in South West Morocco, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. This important geographical location, near Marrakech and at the gates of the Western Sahara, makes it the capital of the region.

Also, Agadir and its people have shown us that there is nothing impossible in this city, this which witnessed a destructive earthquake on February 29th 1960 but nonetheless did not prevent all Moroccans and Agadir lovers from rebuilding the city relying on a modern European technologies and style. In addition to this, you can enjoy the wonderful weather of the city, which will give you the chance to enjoy its sunshine 360 days a year.

Equally, in Agadir you will have the opportunity to discover many exciting and prominent monuments, such as the Agadir Oufella, a charming and ancient fortress, with winding and animated alleys, from which you will enjoy a fantastic view of the whole city. Around Agadir, you can visit the Imouzzar region, a gorgeous mountainous space, or Aghrod, where you can enjoy the stunning beauty of the sea and the forest.

Also, in Agadir you can immerse yourselves in the heart of the rich Amazigh culture, which is quite notable in all domains, including music (Ahwach, Rwaiss, etc.), musical parties (the Timitar Festival), food (tajine Ssoussi, Amlou, Argan Oil, etc.), clothes (Ahayk, L'ktib, etc.), jewellery (Tizerzay, Talguamout...) and many other crafts and art forms. And last but not least, you will find in this beautiful city one of the best beaches along the Atlantic Coast, where you will have an excellent chance enjoy the swimming, surfing, jet-skiing, etc.

So, Agadir invites you to enjoy a romantic, magical, and unforgettable stay in a place where everything is designed to satisfy all you desires (hotels, restaurants, nature, leisure), so that you have a wonderful and enjoyable holiday!


Come discover the beauty of Agadir, where you can stay in one of the many fantastic Agadir hotels or, better yet, in one of the typical riads of Agadir, with a view of the sea and the city. You may also want to stay in one of the fantastic riads of Marrakech, the Ochre City, just 150 miles from Agadir.

Siham Ben Chikh studied in the special centre for blind people Organisation Alaouite Pour La Protection Des Aveugles in Taroudant, in Morocco. She got her Baccalaureate in Literature (English option) from the Mohammed VI High School in Ouarzazate. She continued her studies at the Ibnou Zouhr University in Agadir where she obtained her DEUG (Diplôme d'Etudes Universitaires Générales) with Honours in English as well as her BA degree in English Studies. She successfully obtained a Certificate in Communication Studies from the Sea English Academy International American Association in ISIAM, Agadir. Siham has also taken some piano courses and now works as a freelance writer and translator for the Marrakech based reservation centre 3wkom.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2580967

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Agadir: Modern City

Today Agadir is a fine modern city with a host of excellent hotels, wide avenues, gardens in bright bloom,a magnificent port and a first-rate airport-and, above all, a splendid beach stretching for six kilometres, the air scented by pine, eucalyptus and tamarisk. Agadir's réputation as a beach resort has spread worldwide. From a cliff-road flanking the hill, the Old Kasbah, dating from the 16th century, overlooks the azure spread of the ocean, the verdant valleys of the Great Souss and the majestic slopes of the Anti-Atlas.

Agadir is not only the kingdom's main fishing-port, it is also its first holiday haven, and the city is very much organized around seeing to the comfort of its visitors. Bathed in sunshine the whole year round, the city offers facilities for sailing, wind surfing, horse-riding, tennis, golf and a host of other sports activities. Those in search of the quiet life may simply lounge in the shade of a eucalyptus, sipping a fresh fruit cocktail. Perched between the mountainous regions of the Anti-Atlas and the western extreme of the High Atlas, Agadir is a departure point for a variety of marvellous excursions.




Now Agadir exhibits a totally different city culture and architecture from the rest of the country. Agadir was, and continued to be a favourite tourist destination. So it is no wonder that it was the needs of tourists which more than any other thing made the street wide and straight, houses low and minimalistic and which placed hotels between the city and the beach.

The most people, foreigners as the Moroccans themselfs love the city of Agadir. They all find it very attractive. Bathed in sunshine the whole year round, the city offers facilities for sailing, wind surfing, horse-riding, tennis, golf and a host of other sports activities. Those in search of the quiet life may simply lounge in the shade of a eucalyptus, sipping a fresh fruit cocktail. Perched between the mountainous regions of the Anti-Atlas and the western extreme of the High Atlas, Agadir is a departure point for a variety of marvellous excursions. One thing is definatly true: for every year that pass, streets become more and more lively, and more and more Moroccan elements move in, and culturale festivity's take place right on the street.






 

 dedicated from: agadirtravel.awardspace.com

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agadir's history

Lying on the Atlantic coast at the mouth of the fertile Souss Valley and almost in the shadow of the Anti-Atlas mountains in the distance, Agadir is popular for one thing: its beach. Crescent-shaped Agadir Bay and its 9km (5 1/2-mile) stretch of golden sand attracts large numbers of all-inclusive holidaymakers nearly year-round. Currently experiencing an increase in  popularity as an alternative for those looking for a resort     holiday with a twist, the city is largely hassle-free and has a pleasant, relaxed air about it, with the local Gadiris   enjoying the current rise in prosperity.

Agadir's history is dotted with 16th-century Portuguese and 20th-century French interference, as well as a brief moment of German interest in the heady "Scramble for Africa" days pre-World War I. This is interspersed with Saâdian and Alaouite rule, but the greatest influence on today's Agadir occurred just 4 years after independence at 11:47pm on February 29, 1960. In 15 seconds, a violent earthquake shook the old city and buried 15,000 Gadiris alive under fallen rubble, leaving the remaining 50,000 inhabitants homeless. It was a particularly traumatic event for young Morocco, and King Mohammed V reacted quickly by declaring to his people, "If destiny decided to destroy Agadir, then its reconstruction depends on our faith and our will." The reconstruction was seen as a chance to build a modern city that would be a showcase of the "new" Morocco. The result is a well-designed (and earthquake-proof) city, unlike any other in Morocco, that's similar to a European beach resort but lacks any of the flamboyance or decadence. Travelers who have regularly experienced other areas of Morocco (such as Essaouira, just 200km/124 miles up the coast) bemoan a lack of any real atmosphere or personality to Agadir, while some new arrivals to Morocco compare the city to more established resorts on the Mediterranean. To me, both points of view could be considered harsh. To stay in Agadir is to enjoy a city that is still developing its character and substance, influenced by the very people who have come to holiday here. It is only just starting to realize its potential as both a base to explore southern Morocco (convenient direct flights from Europe arrive at Agadir's al Massira airport daily) and a destination in its own right.

Read more: www.frommers.com/destinations/agadir

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''agadir'' name's origins

Agadir: Agadir n’Ihrir. Previously a small outpost of the 11th century B.C. Phoenicians; then of 7th century B.C. Carthaginians; 4th century B.C. Mauretanian Berbers and 4th century A.D. Romans, during the Dark Ages of the Medieval Times around 1100 A.D. it became known as Agadir el Arbâa. Not until 1505 did the tiny village of Agadir make its first mark on history when the Portuguese set up a trading post here at what was then a small fortified communal granary (‘Agadir Oufellah’ in the Berber - Chleuh - idiom meaning High Silo) to be named their Santa Cruz de Berbeira, thence Santa Cruz Do Cabo De Aguer,defended by a small fort on what is now called the Cap de Ghirone to become the furthest South "frontieras" (Portuguese enclave) built by a Portuguese nobleman, Joao Lopez de Sequeira, who personally paid for all expenses. This fortified port was attached to the more official Portuguese presence at Massa, just to the south of Agadir which had been established in 1497. The internal conflicts tearing Morocco apart made it difficult for any sovereign to take these ports away from the Portuguese. When writing about Agadir, Leo Africanus mentions a failed attempt by the local ruler to re-conquer the fortress. In 1511, the Moroccans laid siege to the fortified place to lose many men in battle, only to flee, vanquished. Leo Africanus writes that despite this defeat, the nearby Berber populations didnot abandon the hope of recuperating these lands someday. Led by the man who would later become the first Sultan of the Saâdien dynasty, they waited patiently, gathering men and forces for upcoming battles:

      

"When I left the Cherif's court (Cherif is a name given to any descendant of the Prophet, Mohammed), he had gathered more than 3000 horsemen and a great many footmen, along with huge quantities of war materials."

A profitable, but brief stay at this natural harbour for, in 1541, the Portuguese were forcibly ejected after a six month-long siege by the founder of the Saâdien dynasty, Mohammed Ech Cheikh el Mehdi as what he really wanted was control of the caravanserails of gold from the sub-Saharan nations. The Golden Age of Agadir then followed, with ships arriving every day to take on cargoes of sugar cane, dates, wax, oils, and spices from the surrounding areas and gold from Sudan, Mali and Chad. His son was to build the fortified kasbah of Agadir Oufellah some 30 years later to protect this lucrative trade. In 1760 the Alaouite Sultan Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah, jealous of the revenues generated by this port, decided to build one at Mogador – modern day Essaouira - leaving Agadir to fall into decline. In 1911 the arrival of a German gunboat (the Panther), sent by Emperor William III of Prussia officially to protect the local German community, was to trigger what became known as the Agadir Crisis between France and Germany whereby, in 1913, France ceded part of its possessions in the Congo to establish a Protectorate over nearly the entire Sultanate of Morocco.

It was here in Agadir that, in 1930, Saint-Exupèry made a technical stop on his flight across the Atlantic Ocean and a staging post for AeroPostale. In 1913 the French built a modern port, enlarging the harbour in 1930 and again in 1954; At 23:47 precisely on February 29 1960, Agadir was almost totally destroyed by an earthquake lasting but 15 seconds, burying the old city and killing an estimated15,000 souls.

It also mostly destroyed the ancient Kasbah on the summit of Cap Ghir hill, the farthermost trailing edge of the Atlas Mountains which stretch from here to Tunisia, the ramparts and Babs (gates) alone being restored. On its front gate can still be read the following sentence in Dutch, who, in 1746, had been permitted to set up here a trading post: "Fear God and honour thy King". On seeing the destruction in Agadir, King Mohammed V of Morocco declared: "If Destiny decided the destruction of Agadir, its rebuilding depends of our Faith and Will." Complete reconstruction began in 1961, two kilometres south of the earthquake’s epicentre, to make Agadir Morocco’s newest city - The Pearl of the South which, with some 350 days of sunshine, has become a prime beach resort for Europeans.

   

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An Introduction to Morocco welcome

Morocco is in many ways a country apart. It nestles on the northwestern tip of Africa, separated from the rest of the continent by the towering Atlas Mountains and by the Sahara itself. Its climate, geography, and history are all more closely related to the Mediterranean than to the rest of Africa, and for this reason visitors are often struck by the odd sensation of having not quite reached Africa in Morocco. In the north, its fine beaches, lush highland valleys, and evocative old cities reinforce this impression. Yet, as one moves south and east, into and over  the starkly beautiful ranges of the Atlases, Morocco's Mediterranean character melts away like a mirage. The sahara stretches out to the horizon, and forbidding kasbahs stare.

 

Located in north Africa, Morocco is one of the most fascinating travel destinations, so rich in culture and heritage, Morocco is also to land of the wonders, the mountains, the market places, handicrafts, folk music, and Moroccan people are very friendly, open to foreigners and very welcoming, Morocco's population is approximately  33.245.300 as of the last reported data, Moroccan cities are very fascinating and reserve each a typical feel, for instance in the north you can enjoy the Miditerranean sea, in the west of Morocco the Atlantic, 3500 Km on coast, going all the way from Tangier to Laguira, the south is your must stop to enjoy the palmeries, the desert and the high atlas mountains.

 

    

Morocco's borders are Algeria, Mauritania, The Mediterranean Sea, and the Atlantic ocean, once upon a time the country was known as Marrakech, or Al maghreb al Aqsa, Marrakech is one of the largest Moroccan cities, and one of the most visited travel destination in Morocco, famous thanks to its diverse cultural heritage, the market place downtown Marrakech, and the square place: Jamaa Lefna.

If you are visiting Morocco, there is so many cities that should be a must see, such as Rabat, Fez, and Mekness if heritage and culture are of interest to you, while if you are interetsed in the beaches, modern tourism, surf, then head south to Agadir and Essaouira, The cities in the south are a destination for people who are into desert, the palmeries, trekking, etc, some of these well know travel destinations are: Ouarzazate where you can visit the two valleys, the Valley of Daraa and the Valley of Dades, other interesting Moroccan cities in the south are: Tiznit, Zagora, Taroudant, Dakhla.

We have included in our guide section more travel resources, photos, travel journal, Moroccan news around the hour, weather, cities, riads and hotels as well as museums, historical parks, etc

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