Agadir

Agadir (Berber: ⴰⴳⴰⴷⵉⵔ) is a major city in Morocco. It is located on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean near the foot of the Atlas Mountains, just north of the point where the Souss River flows into the ocean and south of Casablanca. Agadir is the capital of the Agadir Ida-U-Tanan Prefecture and of the Souss-Massa economic region. The majority of its inhabitants speak Berber language, one of the two official languages of Morocco. It was the locale for the Agadir Crisis of 1911 between France and Germany that presaged the First World War.
Introduction.
Agadir is one of the major urban centres of Morocco. The municipality of Agadir recorded a population of 924,000 in the 2014 Moroccan census. According to the 2004 census, there were 346,106 inhabitants in that year and the population of the Prefecture of Agadir-Ida Outanane was 487,954 inhabitants.
Three languages are spoken in the city: Tashelhit (first language of the majority), Moroccan Arabic, and French.
The city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1960; it has been completely rebuilt with mandatory seismic standards. It is now the largest seaside resort in Morocco, where foreign tourists and many residents are attracted by an unusually mild year-round climate. Since 2010 it has been well served by low-cost flights and a motorway from Tangier. The city attracts all walks of life; it has had an annual growth rate of over 6% per year in housing demand while housing production barely exceeds 3.4%.
The mild winter climate (January average midday temperature 20.5 °C/69 °F) and good beaches have made it a major "winter sun" destination for northern Europeans.
Etymology.
Very little remains of the Phoenician language, but numismatic inscriptions record that they knew the site as a Gadir or Agadir (Phoenician: ‬𐤀𐤂𐤃𐤓, ʾgdr), meaning "The Wall", "The Compound", or (by metonymy) "The Stronghold". Borrowed by the Berber languages, this became the agadir (Tamazight: "wall"; Shilha: "fortified granary") common in North African place names. (The Israeli town Gedera shares a similar etymology, as well as the Moroccan city Agadir and the Spanish city Cadiz). The Carthaginians continued to use this name and all subsequent names have derived from it. The Greek cothon refers to a Carthaginian type of fortified basin that can be seen at ancient sites such as Motya.
History.
Founded around 1104 BC as Gadir or Agadir by Phoenicians from Tyre
Little history is recorded on Agadir before the 12th century.
The oldest cartographic mention of Agadir is on a map from 1325: at the approximate location of the modern city there was an indication of a place called "Porto Mesegina", after the name of a Berber tribe already mentioned in the 12th century, the "Mesguina", that is to say the "Ksima".
At the end of the medieval period, Agadir was a town of some notoriety. The name itself, "Agadir al-harba", was attested to for the first time in 1510.
In 1505, the Portuguese, who were already installed on the Moroccan coast, founded a trading post and a fort at the foot of the hill to the sea, "Santa Cruz do Cabo de Aguer" on the site of the now-vanished neighborhood of Founti (named after the Portuguese word "fonte" meaning "fountain") under a governor.
Quickly, the Portuguese were exposed to the hostility of the tribes of the region. From 1530, they were blockaded in Santa Cruz. Portuguese weakness showed itself on 12 March 1541 when Sherif Saâdien Mohammed ash-Sheikh captured the fortress of Santa Cruz de Aguer. Six hundred Portuguese survivors were taken prisoner, including the governor, Guterre de Monroy, and his daughter, Dona Mecia. The captives were redeemed by the holy men mostly from Portugal. Dona Mecia, whose husband was killed during the battle, became the wife of Sheikh Mohammed ash-Sheikh but died in childbirth in 1544. In the same year, Mohammed ash-Sheikh released the Governor Guterre de Monroy, whom he had befriended.
The Portuguese possessions in Morocco, acquired between 1505 and 1520, were regressing. After the loss of Agadir, the Portuguese were obliged to abandon Safi and Azemmour. Morocco was beginning to be less important for Portugal which now turned to India and Brazil. After 1550, the Portuguese no longer held anything in Morocco other than Mazagan (now El Jadida), Tangier and Ceuta.
The story of the Portuguese presence (from the installation in 1505 until the fall on 12 March 1541) is described in manuscript (published for the first time, with French translation, by Pierre de Cenival in 1934) entitled "Este He O Origem e Comeco e Cabo da Villa de Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gue D'Agoa de Narba", written by anonymous who was captured in 12-III-34 and was five years imprisoned in Taroudannt (cf. "Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gue d'Agoa de Narba – Estudo e Crónica", Joao Marinho e Santos, José Manuel Azevedo e Silva e Mohammed Nadir, bilingual edition, Viseu 2007).
In 1572, the Casbah was built on top of the hill by Moulay Abdallah al-Ghalib, successor to Mohammed ash-Sheikh. It was now called "Agadir N'Ighir", literally: "fortified granary of the hill" in Tachelhit.
In the 17th century, during the reign of the Berber dynasty of Tazerwalt, Agadir was a harbour of some importance, expanding its trade with Europe. There was, however, no real port nor a wharf. Agadir traded mainly in sugar, wax, copper, hides and skins. Europeans brought their manufactured goods, particularly weapons and textiles. Under the reign of Sultan Moulay Ismail (1645–1727) and his successors, the trade with France, until then an active partner regressed to the English and the Dutch.
In 1731, the town was completely destroyed by an earthquake. The harbour of Agadir was then ordered to be closed when Essaouira was established farther north.
In 1746, the Dutch set up a trading post at the foot of the Casbah under the authority of the Sultan, and undoubtedly participated in the restoration of the city. Above the door of the Casbah, the Dutch inscription can still be seen with its transcription in Arabic: "Vreest God ende eert den Kooning", which means "Fear God and honour the King", and the date 1746.
After a long period of prosperity during the reigns of the Saadian and Alawite dynasties, Agadir declined from 1760 because of the pre-eminence given to the competing port of Essaouira by the Alawite Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah who wanted to punish the Souss for rebelling against his authority. This decline lasted a century and a half. In 1789, a European traveler gave a brief description of Agadir: "It is now a ghost town, there are no more than a few houses and these are crumbling into ruins".
In 1881, Sultan Moulay Hassan reopened the harbour to trade in order to supply the expeditions he planned in the south. These expeditions, which were to reassert his authority over the Souss tribes and counter the plans of English and Spanish, were held in 1882 and 1886.
In 1884, Charles de Foucauld described in "Reconnaissance au Maroc" (Reconnaissance in Morocco) his rapid passage to Agadir from the east:
On the pretext of a call for help from German companies in the valley of the Souss, Germany decided on 1 July 1911, to extend its interests in Morocco and assert a claim on the country. It sent to the Bay of Agadir, (which harbour was, until 1881, closed to foreign trade) the which was quickly joined by the cruiser "Berlin". Very strong international reaction, particularly from Great Britain, surprised Germany and triggered the Agadir Crisis between France and Germany. War threatened. After tough negotiations, a Franco-German treaty was finally signed on 4 November 1911, giving a free hand to France, who would be able to establish its protectorate over Morocco in return for giving up some colonies in Africa. It was only then that the gunboat "Panther" and the cruiser "Berlin" left the bay of Agadir.
Due to a miscalculation, the German sales representative Hermann Wilberg, who was sent to provide the pretext for the intervention, only arrived at Agadir three days after the "Panther" arrived.
In 1913, the cities (Agadir N'Ighir and Founti) totalled less than a thousand inhabitants. On 15 June 1913 French troops landed in Agadir. In 1916, the first pier was built near Founti – a simple jetty, later known as the "Portuguese jetty", which remained until the end of the 20th century. After 1920, under the French protectorate, a port was built and the city saw its first development with the construction of the old Talborjt district located on the plateau at the foot of the hill. Two years later, beside Talborjt along the faultline of the river Tildi construction of the popular district of Yahchech began.
Around 1930, Agadir was an important stop for the French airmail service Aéropostale and was frequented by Saint-Exupéry and Mermoz.
In the years from 1930, a modern central city began to be built according to the plans of the urban planner Henri Prost, director of the Urban Planning Department of the Protectorate, and his deputy Albert Laprade: a horseshoe layout based on the waterfront around a large avenue perpendicular to the waterfront – the Avenue Lyautey, since renamed Avenue du Général Kettani. In the 1950s, urban development continued under the direction of the Director of Urban Planning Morocco, Michel Ecochard.
After 1950 and the opening of the new commercial port, the city grew with fishing, canning, agriculture, and mining. It also began to open up to tourism thanks to its climate and beautiful hotels. Several years later from 1950 to 1956 Agadir organised the Grand Prix of Agadir and, from 1954 to 1956, the Moroccan Grand Prix.
In 1959, the port was visited by the yacht of the Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis and his guest, Winston Churchill.
By 1960, Agadir numbered over 40,000 residents when at 15 minutes to midnight on 29 February 1960, it was again almost totally destroyed by an earthquake of magnitude 5.7 on the Richter scale that lasted 15 seconds, burying the city and killing more than a third of the population. The death toll was estimated at 15,000. The earthquake destroyed the ancient [[Kasbah|Casbah]].
On seeing the destruction in Agadir, King [[Mohammed V of Morocco|Muhammad V]] of Morocco declared: "If Destiny decided the destruction of Agadir, its rebuilding depends on our Faith and Will."
Agadir after 1960.
The current city was rebuilt further south, led by the architects associated with [[Groupe des Architectes Modernes Marocains|GAMMA]], including [[Jean-François Zevaco]], [[Elie Azagury]], [[Pierre Coldefy]], and [[Claude Verdugo]], with consultation from [[Le Corbusier]]. Agadir became a large city of over half a million by 2004, with a large port with four basins: the commercial port with a draft of 17 metres, triangle fishing, fishing port, and a pleasure boat port with marina. Agadir was the premier sardine port in the world in the 1980s and has a beach stretching over 10 km with fine seafront promenades. Its climate has 340 days of sunshine per year which allows for swimming all year round. The winter is warm and in summer, haze is common.
With Marrakech, Agadir is a very important centre for tourism to Morocco, and the city is the most important fishing port in the country. Business is also booming with the export of citrus fruit and vegetables produced in the fertile valley of [[Souss]]. With its white buildings, wide flowered boulevards, modern hotels and European style cafes, Agadir is world class, active and dynamic. The bay of Agadir and the nearby Bay of Taghazout are among the most beautiful bays in Africa.
[[File:Baie d'Agadir vue depuis la casbah, Maroc.jpg|thumb|Agadir Bay, view from the kasbah]]
Economy.
[[File:2010-12-14 Morocco Agadir marina.JPG|thumb|Agadir Marina]]
[[File:Agadir Port pêche 0093.JPG|thumb|left|Agadir fishing port]]
Agadir's economy relies mainly on tourism and fisheries. Agricultural activities are based around the city. Agadir has one of the biggest souks in Morocco (Souk Al Ahad )
[[File:Agadir. Le port de pêche.jpg|thumb|Fishing port as seen from the Casbah]]
The fishing port is a major sardine port. The commercial port is also known for its exports of [[cobalt]], [[manganese]], [[zinc]] and citrus products. The Avenue du Port, the main artery of the Anza district, is surrounded by canneries and has many popular small restaurants adjacent to the fish market. The city has a cement company called Ciments du Maroc (CIMAR), a subsidiary of the Italian group [[Italcementi]] which is in process of being transferred to a new plant from the city. There is also a shipyard in the port and the only merchant marine school in Morocco.
Agadir is served by [[Al Massira Airport]], from the city.
The current conurbation of Agadir is actually a combination of four communes:
New Talborjt.
This area is named after the old district of Talborjt (meaning "small fort" in local Berber, in remembrance of the [[water tower]] which was first built on the plateau in the former Talborjt). Lively, the New Talborjt which has been rebuilt away from the Old Talborjt, has as a main artery the Boulevard Mohammed Sheikh Saadi, named after the victor against the Portuguese in 1541. Other major avenues are the Avenue President Kennedy and the Avenue February 29. There is also the Mohammed V mosque, the [[Olhão Garden|Olhão garden]] (Olhão is a coastal city in southern Portugal that is twinned with Agadir) and its memorial museum and the garden Ibn Zaydoun. Some good hotels and restaurants have been built on the main arteries.
The Casbah.
[[File:Agadir Kasbah 1000.JPG|thumb|Hill of the old Casbah]]
[[File:Agadir Casbah Oufella nuit.JPG|thumb|The Casbah at Night]]
The "Casbah" ("Agadir Oufella", "Agadir le haut", "Agadir N'Ighir", or "Agadir de la colline") was, along with Founti by the sea, the oldest district of Agadir. An authentic fortress with winding streets and lively, the Casbah was built in 1572 by Moulay [[Abdallah al-Ghalib]]. Above the front door; today, the original inscription in Arabic and in English reads: "Fear God and honour the King."
Of this fortress there remains, after the earthquake of 29 February 1960, a restored long high wall that surrounds land that is not buildable. The view, however, is exceptional over the bay of Agadir and the ports. The old people of Agadir remember the famous "Moorish café" of the Casbah and its panoramic view.
The hill bears the inscription in Arabic: "God, Country, King" which, like the walls, is illuminated at night.
Old Talborjt.
Overlooking the waterfront and Wadi Tildi, this old district (whose name is sometimes spelled "Talbordjt") was once a shopping area and very lively with its large square where there was a weekly market, hotels, schools, mosque 90% of the buildings in Old Talborjt were destroyed or severely damaged by the earthquake in 1960. Razed to the ground after the earthquake and now overgrown, it is classified as non-buildable area. Its main thoroughfare, the Avenue El Moun stretches over and serves only for driving schools that teach their students to drive.
Souk El Had.
This is the largest market in the region. It has about 6,000 small shops. It is surrounded by walls and has several entrances. It is organized into different sectors: furniture, crafts, clothing, vegetables, meat, spices etc. It is possible to find all kinds of handicrafts and traditional decorations.
The walls have been restored and the interior design is being finished.
La Médina.
[[File:Medina Agadir2.jpg|upright=0.7|thumb|La Médina]]
"La Médina" is a handicrafts space created in 1992 by the Italian artist Coco Polizzi, at Ben Sergao, a district close to Agadir from the city centre. Built using techniques of traditional Berber construction, it is a kind of small open-air museum, on five hectares and home to artisan workshops, a museum, individual residences, a small hotel, and an exotic garden.
Subdivisions.
The prefecture is divided administratively into communes.
Geography.
Climate.
[[File:Agadir coucher soleil 0992.JPG|thumb|right|Sunset in Agadir]]
Agadir features a hot [[semiarid climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: "BSh") with warm summers and mild winters. Located along the Atlantic Ocean, Agadir has a very temperate climate. The daytime temperature generally stays in the 20s °C (70s °F) every day, with the winter highs typically reaching in December and January.
Rainfall is almost entirely confined to the winter months and is heavily influenced by [[North Atlantic Oscillation|the NAO]], with negative NAO indices producing wet winters and positive NAO correlating with drought. For instance, in the wettest month on record of December 1963, as much as fell, whereas in the positive NAO year from July 1960 to June 1961 a mere occurred over the twelve months. The wettest year has been from July 1955 to June 1956 with .
Occasionally however, the region experiences winds from the Sahara called "Chergui", which may exceptionally and for two to five days raise the heat above .
In 1950, a poster from the Navigation Company Pacquet proclaimed: "Winter or summer, I bathe in Agadir".
Culture.
The Timitar festival, a festival of [[Berber music|Amazigh]] and music from around the world, has been held in Agadir every summer since its inception in July 2004.
The "Morocco Movement" association is involved in the arts and organizes concerts, exhibitions and meetings in the visual arts, design, music, graphic design, photography, environment and health
Other cultural events in Agadir are:
Education.
The city of Agadir has a university: the "University Ibn Zohr" which includes a Faculty of Science, Faculty of medicine and pharmacy, Faculty of Law, Economics and Social Sciences, the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, and the multi-disciplined Faculty of Ouarzazate.
There are also establishments of higher education such as:
There is an international French school: the "French School of Agadir" and also public schools: "Youssef Ben Tachfine School", "Mohammed Reda-Slaoui School", and the "Al-Idrissi Technical College".
There is a range of highschools: 
Sport.
The [[Botola]] side [[Hassania Agadir]] is the local [[association football|football]] team of Agadir. They play their home matches at the Adrar stadium.
The [[Hassan II Golf Trophy]] and [[Lalla Meryem Cup]] golf tournaments of the [[European Tour]] and [[Ladies European Tour]] are held at the Golf du Palais Royal in Agadir since 2011.
Beaches outside Agadir.
[[File:Agadir Kasbah 1012.JPG|thumb|Agadir beach]]
Some of the most beautiful beaches in Morocco are located to the north of Agadir. Areas also known for excellent surfing are located near Taghazout village to Cap Ghir. Many smaller and clean beaches are located along this coast. Some of them between Agadir and Essaouira are: 
Agadir Beach, Tamaounza (12 km), Aitswal Beach, Imouran (17 km), Taghazout (19 km), Bouyirdn (20 km), Timzguida (22 km), Aghroud (30 km), Imiouadar (27 km).
Sister cities.
Agadir has eight [[sister cities]] 
Cooperation Pact:
Miscellaneous.
Agadir is also one of the first names of the city of [[Tlemcen]] in [[Algeria]].
In popular culture.
Agadir is referenced in the Mike Batt song "[[Ride to Agadir]]".
External links.
[[Category:Agadir| ]]
[[Category:Berber populated places]]
[[Category:Cities destroyed by earthquakes]]
[[Category:Municipalities of Morocco]]
[[Category:Prefecturial capitals in Morocco]]
[[Category:Regional capitals in Morocco]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1505]]
[[Category:Ports and harbours of Morocco]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns on the Moroccan Atlantic Coast]]