Medina of Essaouira (formerly Mogador)

Sea walls, cannon and a grid of whitewashed lanes: Essaouira was laid out in the late 18th century as a fortified Atlantic port, applying the European military engineering of the day to a North African setting. From its quays, trade flowed between Morocco's Saharan hinterland, Europe and the wider world. UNESCO listed the medina — formerly known as Mogador — in 2001; today gnaoua music and wheeling gulls provide the soundtrack.