Mohammed III
revived the city of Essaouira and invited Jews
and English to trade there. Merchants from Europe
arrived and the city began to enjoy its golden age.
The sultan decided to make it the most
important port of the kingdom. He permitted different tribes
to inhabit the city and consulates to be established: Denmark
first, then France, Brasil and Portugal.
This intelligent and tolerant sultan even welcomed an important
Jewish community, which contributed greatly
to the development of the city.
Mogador became the first Moroccan port to trade with the non-islamic
world. In 1767, he signed a peace treaty
with Spain and a trade agreement with France. Under Mohammed
III, Morocco became the first country to recognize
the United States as an independent nation, in 1777. President
George Washington wrote letters to the sultan in
1789 asking him for aid in allowing American ships to navigate
nearby waters and thanking him for help with realease American
sailors captured in Tripoli.
It also became the destination for caravans bringing African
riches from Timbuctu.
The local Berber (Haha) and Arab
(Chiadma) tribes provided labor for construction
of the city but Then military contingents, including 'abîd
al-Bukhârî (the Sultan's Black
slave soldiers), and soldiers from Agadir, were permanently
stationed there.These contingents account for the origin of
three of the city's residential neighborhoods: Ahl Agadir,
Bani Antar and Bouakhir.
Mohammed III was a sultan Alaouite.
Sultan, is an islamic title
used by certain muslim rulers. Lands ruled by a sultan are
called a sultanate. Mohammed V changed the style
to Malik (king) on 14 August 1957, maintaining
the subsidiary style Amir al-Mu´minin
(Commander of the Faithful)
Museum
Sidi Mohammad Ben Abdellah
The museum is situated in the street
Laâlouj in the Kasbah of the Medina.
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