Essaouira (English pronunciation: /ˌɛsəˈwɪərə/; Arabic: الصويرة, Berber: M-ugadir) is a windy city in the western Moroccan economic region of Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, on the Atlantic coast. It was formerly known, by the 16th century Portuguese as Mogador or Mogadore.
The Medina of Essaouira (formerly Mogador) is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Essaouira is an exceptional example of a late-18th-century fortified town, built according to the principles of contemporary European military architecture in a North African context. Since its foundation, it has been a major international trading seaport, linking Morocco and its Saharan hinterland with Europe and the rest of the world.