Painter and cartoonist Muhammad Al-Khou races against time to meet art and image lovers among visitors to his favorite city of Chefchaouen, the charming city, as he calls it, through his frequent artistic performances in the city.
It has become a meeting place for friends and loved ones. Artist Muhammad Al-Kho tells Al Jazeera Net, “I find in it a part of my identity and my mother’s scent. Its colors inspire me and its mountainous climate suits me.”
Chefchaouen, a small city with a long history and famous reputation, is today one of the favorite tourist destinations for celebrities and travel enthusiasts from all over the world. Its pictures sweep social media sites and, with their simplicity, challenge the major tourist destinations.
Chefchaouen is located in the heart of the mountain, and is studded with its heritage buildings with an authentic Andalusian touch. With its blue color, it inspired great artists and creators, and attracted photo enthusiasts and painters, and with its originality and simplicity, it penetrated the hearts of its lovers and attracted tourists from all over the world.
What distinguishes Chefchaouen? How do you get there and have the experience? What are the most important places that are worth visiting? Details and other matters we simplify in your hands on your way to the Blue Jewel.
Titles and classifications
The name “Chefchaouen”, known locally as “Chaouen”, is derived from the indigenous Berber component of Morocco, and refers to the centuries of mountains that surround it. The first thing that distinguishes Chefchaouen is its location in the embrace of the mountains.
She has been called the Bride of the Mountain, the Blue Jewel, Little Granada, the Jasmine of the Mountains, the Saint of the Mountain, and the Paradise of Spring. The scholar and historian Al-Hassan bin Masoud Al-Yusi said about it in the year 1080: “Chefchaouen is the haven of the sun… and the glory is beyond the length of the nations.”
The destination of Chefchaouen and its suburbs offers the visitor a tourist experience that includes enjoying the diverse landscapes, learning about the history and culture of the region, and relaxing in a quiet atmosphere away from the hustle and bustle of the major cities.
When you first meet Chefchaouen, you see the color blue. Chefchaouen’s houses are characterized by a sky blue color, which is a mixture of lime and the natural indigo dye. The women of the city used to dye the doors and spaces near the exit of the house in the alley, so that the whole thing became clean and colorful.
Chefchaouen occupies high ranks in international tourism rankings, and in many of them it is at the forefront, as it came, according to the international website specializing in tourism and travel, “TenBest.com” (10best.com), in third place in the list of the 10 most beautiful tourist cities in the world, distinguished by its alleys. It is quiet and has blue buildings, which gives it great appeal.
Chefchaouen was ranked sixth among the most beautiful cities in the world, ahead of the French capital, Paris, in a classification announced by the “Conde Nast Traveler” portal, which specializes in travel, and which relies on the criteria of architecture, art, and strategic and natural location in classifying the most beautiful cities in the world. the world.
Visual dazzle
Moroccan artist Mohamed Al-Khou says, in his interview with Al Jazeera Net, that what matters most to him in Chefchaouen is light. “We hunt for light, or rather the duality of shadow and light,” and he explains that the light shed on the narrow alleys painted in blue creates a beautiful visual pattern, and makes the contrast of shadow and light very focused. good.
The American travel website Tripsavvy listed the city of Chefchaouen at the top of the list of 10 global cities that are vibrant with color and provide its visitors with the opportunity to enjoy a vibrant and visually dazzling tourist experience.
The American magazine Forbes chose photos of the homes of the “Blue Jewel”, Chefchaouen, among the list of the best photos taken by tourists, and published on the social networking site Instagram.
Do not be surprised if you find in the Blue City painters simplifying their drawing tools and drawing doors and alleys in harmony with the place, or fashion models competing in photographic poses, and you may encounter brides in wedding attire chronicling the event in the alleys of Chefchaouen.
Authenticity of history and architecture
Chefchaouen is a city founded by Prince Moulay Ali bin Musa bin Rashid in the year 1471 AD, including a bathhouse, an oven, and a large mosque, in addition to the Kasbah, which formed a military barracks, while historians confirm that the city was founded to be a jihadist base to confront the Iberian Crusaders’ invasion after the fall of Ceuta.
According to the book “From the History of Chefchaouen” by Taha bin Al-Farouk Raissouni, after Ali bin Rashid began his urban project by establishing Houmt Souika, the highest of which is the current Kasbah House, the Makhzen, and decorated it with symbols of authority by preparing the road, the prison, army barracks, and horse and animal fodder, his son took the initiative to expand the urban area to receive the people of Andalusia fleeing from The oppression of the Inquisition, in addition to allowing displaced Andalusians to build the Rif al-Andalus neighborhood.
The people of Andalusia (the Moriscos) built the Andalusian Mosque in Chefchaouen, and they brought with them Andalusian music, the art of cooking, the arrangement of roses and flowers, and the architecture that distinguished the city and its ancient paths.
The Andalusian style characterizes the city’s architecture and fashion. Al-Kho says, “People in Chefchaouen cling to their authentic dress at all times. They have not neglected their originality, and this is the reason why people love them.”
Mountains and seas
Al-Kho says that Chefchaouen is worth a visit for its mountainous climate and is suitable for family travel, and its spaces provide the enjoyment of night entertainment and watching in a safe atmosphere.
Not to mention the places that the city provides to its visitors, such as “Ras Al-Ma” (a natural water source), which furnishes the space with the sound of water that distinguishes the sound of the city, “Wata Al-Hamam” Square, and the ancient city, which is considered a museum open to the sky with its blue alleys carefully decorated with handmade products, seedlings, vases, and paintings. The balcony of the Bou Zaafar Mosque overlooks the city and the sunset evenings under the sounds of music. Chefchaouen is surrounded by natural parks that provide a space for nature lovers.
Chefchaouen is a location with two mountains, surrounded by an exceptional, pristine natural environment, as Chefchaouen offers walking trails in Tel Semtane Park (a national reserve that includes many places for outdoor hiking with stunning landscapes, and dozens of species of birds and wild pets), and Bouhachem Park (a reserve It extends over an area of 8,000 hectares and extends to Chefchaouen with other areas belonging to Tetouan and Larache. It is also characterized by the presence of many mountain peaks, and is a suitable place for lovers of mountain tourism amidst cedar, fir and pine forests.
For adventure lovers, there are mountain sports such as climbing and quad bike trails, and close to the city there are Akchour Waterfalls, where the famous “Divine Bridge” (Qantara d’Rabbi) is a natural arch 80 feet high.
As for sea lovers, the tourist offer in Chefchaouen includes the Mediterranean coast at each of the beaches: Astihat, Echmaala, Tergha, Kaa Asras, Azanti, Sidi Yahia Abre, Metara, Taghssa, and Front Beach.
How much is all this beauty?
Insider Monkey, a website specialized in financial and investment analyses, recently classified the cities of Tangier and Chefchaouen as the cheapest tourist destinations on the African continent. The site based its classification of these cities on indicators of the cost of accommodation, food, and transportation.
Chefchaouen offers an attractive tourist experience at reasonable prices, as the city has classified hotels and guest houses whose price per night ranges from about $10 to $100, with furnished apartments available for rent for families at prices ranging between $25 and $50, in addition to the possibility of camping for those who like to stay overnight in tents.
The city’s outskirts were reinforced with many shelters in the areas of Tanqoub, Bab Taza, Talmbut, Dardara, and others.
Chefchaouen is close to the cities of Tangier and Tetouan, and a foreign tourist can disembark at the airport of one of the two cities, or via the port of Tangier Medina, or via the Tangier Med port, and then head to Chefchaouen via bus or taxi in a trip that does not exceed 3 hours at most.
Perhaps you do not need transportation inside Chefchaouen and are satisfied with walking around on foot. As for reaching its suburbs, there are large taxi buses in the city linking Chefchaouen to the major cities and neighboring villages. They are located next to the Hassan II Mosque, Abdel Karim Al Khattabi Street, Moulay Idriss Street, and in front of the Modern Mosque of Moulay Abdel Rahman Al Sharif. The taxi link between Chefchaouen and Akchour is located at the intersection of Mohammed V Street and Ghazwat Badr Street.
If you visit Chefchaouen, do not forget to buy fresh fruits and soft goat cheese from village women, taste virgin olive oil, tagine anchovies, and the paella dish of Andalusian origins, and enjoy the flavor of Mediterranean cooking and other types of Moroccan food.
Chefchaouen is suitable for travel by families, individuals, or tourist groups, as well as for cultural, cognitive, and religious travel. Although it has a harsh winter, it has its fans during this season, while its tourism dynamism reaches its peak during the summer, so that the spring experience remains the most beautiful.
