THE TRAVLES FILES: 5 COLUMNS RIAD IN ESSAOUIRA, MOROCCO

These beautiful images shot by photographer & stylist Paulina Arcklin feature 5 Columns Riad. This stunning 200 year old house is located in the old medina of Essaouira, a coastal town in Morocco. The guest house has recently gone through a complete renovation and has sympathetically restored, retaining all original features such as the sand stone columns, wooden ceilings and amazing flooring of black and white tiles in the courtyard. The rooms are decorated with a mix of vintage and European furniture and lighting with beautiful antique pieces from Morocco. You can find more information about the Riad and its rates here on the 5 Columns website.

Essaouira, known as Mogador in earlier days, was for centuries a key trading center between Timbuktu and Europe, overseeing flows of manufactured goods streaming south in exchange for African salt, spices, sugar, feathers and gold. In recent years the exchanges have been more cultural in nature: in the 1950’s Orson Welles famously shot “Othello” on Essaouira’s streets and Skala, while in the 1960s and 70s Essaouira and the pristine beaches just south of town provided haven and inspiration for musicians such as Jimmy Hendrix and Cat Stevens.

Credits: images by Paulina Arcklin.