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Why Does Essaouira Feel So Different? The City That Calms Some and Haunts Others (morocconightmares.blogspot.com)

submitted 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) by NightWhisper@feddit.org to c/philosophy@mander.xyz

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Essaouira isn’t just a coastal city — many visitors describe a strange emotional shift the moment they arrive.

Some feel deep calm, others experience unease, nostalgia, or even anxiety.

Is it the wind, isolation, history, or collective memory of the place?

This article explores the psychological impact of Essaouira and why certain places affect our minds so strongly

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[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

It might also be the drugs. Moroccans are very moralistic about drinking. Islam forbids them to drink so they can't claim a drunken nightlife scene. They do drink, they just hide it, don't flaunt it and do it discreetly.

So the option is drugs which doesn't really have any religious rules.

I've been too Morocco a couple of times and wanted to go to Essaouira but every time we tried there was always a drugged out culture that we saw to the people that wanted to go there.

It's also famous for the Rolling Stones going there, smoking their brains out and finding their inspiration for their album 'Sympathy For The Devil' .... that particular song has an intro of them chanting "woo woo .... woo woo .... woo woo" ... and many people have suggested that is the sound of the pigeons they heard there that are everywhere in Morocco.

[–] NightWhisper@feddit.org 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I think this is a very generalized view. Morocco, like any country, is diverse. Essaouira has a strong artistic, spiritual, and cultural identity that can’t be reduced to drugs or nightlife. Many people go there for music, history, healing, and calm

Personal experiences are valid, but they don’t define an entire city or culture

You really need to see the place yourself, my friend. I’m sure it would change your perspective.

[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I agree ... and Essaouira was on top of our lists of places to go see ... this was 20 years ago and the connections to get there weren't so great back then. You either had to be an adventurous young backpacker who was willing to go through a lot dicey situations to get there for cheap ... or you had to have a bit of money to pay for the passage to get there. There weren't a lot of budget friendly options for people like my wife and I who just wanted some thing safe and affordable.

On our last trip, we decided to take a bus from Melilla to Fez ..... we were promised it was a two or three hour drive .... 12 hours of driving through the mountains and desert, making dozens of stops to collect contraband, go through police check points, military check points, food stops that featured giant cauldrons of hot soup where the food was served in open water bottles, people hiding mysterious little back packets under our seat because they knew no one would search us (and if they did, no one cared what would happen to us) .... the highlight of the trip was stopping in the dark at 1am on a mountain side overlooking the city below, the bus pulled over and dozens of people came out of the dark and stormed the bus, they pulled black packages from everywhere, under, over, in secrete compartments, people inside shuffled packets from everywhere to get it off the bus ... and within five minutes, it was all done and gone, the bus started again and we drove off to the city. We learned later that that contraband could have been anything ... food, clothing, socks, auto parts, drugs, baby food

We didn't want to go through all that again to get to Essaouira

[–] NightWhisper@feddit.org 2 points 3 days ago

I agree with you; that was exactly the situation at the time you mentioned. Back then, many people used to enter the occupied city of Melilla to obtain goods such as clothing, tobacco, and other items you referred to. They would access Melilla through the mountains and other routes, then sell those goods in their local areas as a means of earning a living.

However, that situation no longer exists. Today, the borders are strictly controlled, and the regions that were once marginalized and dependent on smuggling for survival have become stable areas that are now benefiting from tourism.

You can now visit any region you like with your family, feeling completely safe and at ease. When you do, I invite you to come back to this comment and share your opinion.

If you plan to travel from your country to Morocco, I recommend starting with Marrakech as your first destination. Spend a few days in the old city, then visit nearby areas such as Ourika, Oukaïmeden, Imlil, and Moulay Brahim. After that, head to Essaouira, which is about two to two and a half hours from Marrakech. Essaouira is a small city thriving on tourism, and you will not feel like a stranger there—you will feel at home.

Then, continue your journey to Agadir, and afterward to northern Morocco, including Tangier, Tetouan, and Chefchaouen.

That is all.

Best regards, my friend