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Rabat – UNESCO has invited 66 cities to join its Creative Cities Network. The list included the Moroccan city of Essaouira, western Morocco, in the music category. UNESCO announced the list today, October 31, as part of the World Cities’ Day celebration.
The Creative Cities Network is an organization bringing together cities from all over the world that base their development on creativity. The fields taken into consideration are music, crafts, and folk art. UNESCO also considers design, cinema, literature, digital arts, and gastronomy. The network has a total number of 246 member cities.
UNESCO’s creative cities devote the center of their development strategies to culture. They also commit to sharing their best artistic and cultural practices.
“All over the world, these cities, each in its way, make culture the pillar, not an accessory, of their strategy,” said UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay, in a press release from the UN-affiliated organization.
“This favors political and social innovation and is particularly important for the young generations,” Azoulay added.
UNESCO created the Creative Cities Network in 2004. Every year, the organization nominates new cities to join the network. In 2017, the city of Tetouan, northern Morocco, joined the network in the crafts and folk art category.
Essaouira is one of the most highly frequented touristic cities in Morocco. It is located on Morocco’s Atlantic coast.
The cities’ 18th-century seafront ramparts protect the medina, with old cannons lining the walls.
Essaouira has beautiful ocean views, along with strong winds, making its beach a popular destination for surfers.
The city is most well-known for its music festivals. The Gnaoua Festival and the Atlantic Andalusia Festival attract thousands of visitors to Essaouira every year.
