The central square of Essaouira's medina, a wide pedestrian space between the fortified walls and the port. During the day it is the town's main gathering point: café chairs spread across the paving, vendors sell argan oil and spices, and the crowd is a mix of Moroccan families and international visitors. In the evenings it fills further as people return from the beach and the port.
The square is the hinge of the medina's geography — the two main commercial streets, Avenue de l'Istiqlal and Mohammed Zerktouni, meet here. The Skala du Port, the small fortress by the harbour entrance, is visible from its southwest corner. Arriving here from the narrow lanes of the medina is a release — suddenly the sky opens and the sea air hits. During the Gnaoua Festival in June the square becomes one of the main performance spaces.