Essaouira occupies an Atlantic coastal site with a history extending well before the construction of its present medina. Islands and anchorages near the town participated in ancient maritime activity, and the Portuguese later knew the location as Mogador. Their early sixteenth century fortified presence was short lived. The city visible today emerged principally from a different project: the eighteenth century decision of Sultan Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah to create an effective royal port linking Morocco with European commerce and inland trading routes.

Work on the new town began in the 1760s. The sultan employed expertise from several backgrounds, including the French engineer Théodore Cornut, while Moroccan builders and administrators shaped the wider undertaking. Fortifications, gateways and a relatively regular street plan distinguished the planned port from many older Moroccan medinas. Its design responded to maritime defence, commerce and royal authority. The name Essaouira became associated with this newly organised urban centre, whose harbour and warehouses were essential components of the same ambitious coastal development.

The sultan encouraged merchants to establish businesses in the port, including Jewish commercial families who maintained connections across the Mediterranean and Atlantic. Muslim, Jewish and European traders helped move goods between Morocco and overseas markets. The hinterland supplied products through caravan and regional networks, while imported manufactures entered through the harbour. Essaouira's diverse population reflected these commercial relationships, but communities lived within changing legal and social hierarchies. The mellah and surviving religious buildings preserve evidence of a Jewish presence that was central to the city's history.

During the nineteenth century, Essaouira remained an important trading centre, although competition from other ports and changes in transport gradually weakened its position. Foreign pressure also reached the city, notably during the French bombardment of 1844. Later colonial administration and twentieth century economic shifts altered the port's role. Fishing, crafts and local commerce continued as older international networks declined. Woodworking and other skilled trades became prominent features of the medina, while Gnawa musical traditions reflected broader histories of movement and African cultural exchange.

UNESCO inscribed the Medina of Essaouira in 2001 as an outstanding example of a fortified eighteenth century seaport. Its walls, harbour, streets and houses demonstrate the exchange of planning ideas across cultural boundaries. Tourism and cultural events have brought renewed attention, but the historic centre also remains a place of residence and work. Preserving its fabric requires attention to weathering, maintenance and everyday urban needs. Essaouira's significance lies in the relationship between a deliberate royal foundation and the varied communities that gave the planned city its continuing life.