Agadir

The name Agadir is a common Berber noun, meaning 'wall, enclosure, fortified building, citadel'. This noun is attested in most Berber languages. It may come from the Tuareg word aǧādir ('wall' or 'bank') or from Phoenician gadir ('wall' or 'fortress'). The former word may also be a loanword from the latter. The Phoenician etymology, if correct, would be the same as that of Cádiz in Spain. There are many more towns in Morocco called Agadir. The city of Agadir's full name in Tashelhit is Agadir Ighir or Agadir-n-Irir, literally 'the fortress of the cape', referring to the nearby promontory named Cape Ighir on maps (a pleonastic name, literally 'Cape Cape').

The oldest known map that includes an indication of Agadir is from 1325: at the approximate location of the modern city, it names a place it calls Porto Mesegina, after a Berber tribe name that had been recorded as early as the 12th century, the Mesguina (also known as the Ksima). At the end of the medieval period, Agadir was a town of some renown. The first known mention of its name, Agadir al-harba, was recorded in 1510. In the late 15th century the Portuguese began to occupy positions along the Moroccan coast. In 1505 the Portuguese nobleman João Lopes de Sequeira occupied the area. He built a wooden castle at the foot of a hill, near a spring, and a Portuguese colony named Santa Cruz do Cabo do Gué was created. The site still bears the name of Funti or Founti (from the Portuguese word fonte, meaning "fountain"). The castle was later bought by the King of Portugal on 25 January 1513. …

The Commune of Agadir covers an administrative territory of 110 square kilometres, extending from the coastal settlements of Anza and Taddart in the north to the southeastern municipal perimeter. The current conurbation of Agadir is actually a combination of four communes: the former town of Agadir city the urban commune of Anza the rural town of Bensergao the rural town of Tikiwine Following the 1960 earthquake, an autonomous authority, the High Commissariat for Reconstruction, was established on 29 June 1960 by royal decree to enforce safety standards and municipal zoning. Master zoning designated 250 hectares across the unstable pre-Atlas zone as non-constructible, encompassing the Kasbah ridge, Founti, Old Talborjt, and Yachech. …

The Timitar festival, a festival of Amazigh culture 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: Noiz Makerz concert of urban music. Biyelmawn International Carnaval Breaking South national break-dancing championship International Documentary Film Festival in November (FIDADOC) Film Festival for immigration International Festival of University Theatre of Agadir Concert for Tolerance (November) Festival of Laughter International Salon of Art of Photography (Clubphoto d'Agadir) Musée de Talborjt "La Casbah" Musée Bert Flint Le Musée des Arts Berberes Musee Municipal de Agadir La Medina d'Agadir

The Greater Agadir region is the center of Souss-Massa's economy, which generates approximately 6.7% to 7% of Morocco's GDP, with a regional value added of over 70.1 billion dirhams. The prefecture of Agadir Ida-Outanane exhibits a concentration of income that exceeds both the regional and national averages, registering a GDP per capita of 38,427 dirhams in 2018, while the averages for Souss-Massa and the entire country in 2018 stood at 26,328 dirhams and 31,473 dirhams respectively. The prefecture of Agadir Ida-Outanane and Taroudant both account for 65% of the total regional economic activity. According to the World Bank's subnational surveys, administrative processes in Agadir are highly efficient, as obtaining a building permit takes an average of 93 days (compared to 157 days in the OECD) and starting a business takes 9 days (compared to 13 days in the OECD). …

Agadir Crocodile park The view of the city and the bay from Agadir Oufla (Casbah) Valley of the Birds, a pleasant bird park stretching along the Avenue of Administrations, between Boulevard Hassan II and 20 August The garden of Ibn Zaidoun Mohammed V Mosque, on the Boulevard President Kennedy Souk el Had (The biggest Market in Africa ) Amazigh (Berber) Heritage Museum at the Ayt Souss Square The garden of Olhão or "Garden of Portugal" and its memorial museum in Talborjt The marina with its Moorish architecture and shops Loubnane Mosque Wall of commemoration Memory of Agadir Museum; mostly photographic exhibits which concentrate on the Agadir earthquake on 29 February 1960 The city of Taroudannt 80 km to the east, along the Souss valley Palm Oasis of Tiout 20 km to the east of Taroudannt and 100 km from Agadir Imouzzer Ida Ou Tanane a small town 60 km northeast of Agadir where Paradise V …