A3
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A1MUSEUM29 Boutique Hotel Kenzi
30 Budget
31 Royal Air MarocHistory
Named after the agadir (fortified granary) of the Irir tribe, Agadir has a long history of boom
and bust. It was founded in the 15th century by Portuguese merchants wanting to develop trade
links with the Saharan caravans. From the mid-16th century, as the Saadian empire expanded,
the port became prosperous from the export of local sugar, cotton and saltpetre, and products
from Saharan trade, which the Moroccans then controlled. But this prosperity ended in the
1760s, when the Alawite Sultan Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah diverted the trade north to
Essaouira.
The French colonists went some way towards redeveloping Agadir in the 20th century, but
the earthquake on 29 February 1960, which killed as many as 18,000 people, around half of the
population, completely destroyed the city. The authorities, unable to cope with the apocalyptic
aftermath of death and disease, sprayed the area with lime and DDT, and left the dead where
they had been buried, in the collapsed city. The mound this created is now known as Ancienne
Talborjt.
Since its reconstruction, Agadir has developed into an important port, with a large fishing
fleet helping to make Morocco the world’s largest exporter of tinned sardines. Agadir has also
become Morocco’s top beach resort, and the new luxury marina complex signals plans to move
the city upmarket.
Sights
Musée du Patrimoine Amazigh
Offline map Google map ( 0528 82 16 32; Passage Aït Souss; adult/child Dh20/10; 9.30am-12.30pm & 2-5.30pm Mon-Sat) This small museum has an excellent display of Berber
artefacts, especially strong on jewellery. Inspired by Marrakesh’s Maison Tiskiwin ( Click here
), it’s a great place to learn about the traditional life and culture of the Berber people of the
region.
SOUQ AL-HAD
Leave the seafront to shop with the locals at the Souq al-Had (Blvd Abderrahim Bouabid; Tue-Sat) , which slaps a big,
messy dollop of Moroccan atmosphere onto concrete Agadir. On the left when you enter, among the lines of fresh fruit and
veg, Berber apothecaries sell herbal incense, lipstick and potions that have all sorts of effects on the bowels. On the right,
between stalls offering items from jellabas (a popular flowing garment) to fish, there are some good handicrafts including
leatherwork and lanterns.