While Essaouira (Mogador) was already a favourite anchorage for the merchants of Carthage in 500 BC, it did not fully develop until the eighteenth century under the Alaouite Sultan Sidi Muhammad ibn Abdallah who built a fortified port there. It became a crossroads for trade with Africa south of the Sahara and rapidly developed, drawing in traders, artists and artisans who created a wealthy bourgeoisie and imbued the town with new-found vitality. Now a World Heritage Site, the Medina of Essaouira is every bit as alive as it ever was and is home to the souk and the spice stalls as well as hosting, mid-June, the cultural and musical festival of Gnaouas. It is staged on the town’s doorstep and attracts thousands of visitors.