Chefchaouen, also known as the Blue City, is located in the Rif Valley in northern Morocco. It is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Morocco due to its coloring. Houses, walls, doors, windows, fountains, and even streets are painted blue. Founded in 1471, Chefchaouen has been regarded for many centuries as an inviolable and sacred place where foreigners are not allowed.

History of the city of Chefchaouen

The ancient part of the city reflects the typical style of Andalusia, which is not surprising since its population originally consisted of exiled Andalusians, Muslims and Jews who came here in search of a safe place to live. Even today, the majority of the people of Chavin still speak Spanish. Off the list of traditional tourist destinations until the 1950s, Chefshaven (that's the city's full name) is today a haven for photographers as well as hashish smokers thanks to the cultivation of cannabis, which is legal only in these valleys of Morocco, employing hundreds of people. The amount of hash produced in this area corresponds to 40% of world production - more than 80% of cannabis from Morocco is supplied to Europe. Chavin farmers are among the earliest producers of this banned substance.

Speculation about the blue hues used in the coloring of the old city continues to this day. Some say it is the work of Jewish refugees who associate this key with heaven. Others argue that it's just an aesthetic choice and that blue is great for repelling mosquitoes. In any case, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the charming city of Chefchaouen is a testament to the fusion of the Andalusian world and the Moroccan world. A real pearl of bluish luster, carefully restored and carefully guarded in the Rif mountain range. It is also one of the most beautiful cities in Morocco, not inferior in beauty to other cities of color in the world.

Old City Chefchaouen

Shopping in this beautiful blue city is one of its biggest attractions. It may not be as varied or grand as big cities like Fez, Marrakesh and Casablanca, but Chefchaouen boasts traditional charm. After you've explored the blue maze of streets, consider buying some traditional souvenirs. Tourists will enjoy the relaxed atmosphere that is hard to find in big cities. Here you can stroll at your leisure and appreciate the local leather goods for which Chefshaven is so famous.

Behind the blue streets of Chavin, a natural landscape spreads out, surrounding the city from all sides and making it even more picturesque. Approximately 30 minutes by taxi from the city center, there is an enticing hiking trail that, after a short walk, leads to stunning waterfalls. The pristine blue waters match the city's blue theme, and visitors can take a dip in the rock pools or marvel at the majestic streams. In this area, you should definitely visit the famous Bridge of God - a stone arch crossing the river.

In the center of Chefchaouen lie the beautiful Andalusian Gardens, a tranquil green oasis that complements an already tranquil blue stream. In these gardens, it is worth visiting the Ethnographic Museum, known as the Kasbah Museum, which invites visitors to explore its unrivaled collection of artifacts. They will tell you the history of Chavin in a variety of manifestations, from ceramics to musical instruments. Moreover, the museum even has a small art gallery. A visit to the museum will allow you to learn about the history and culture of this beautiful city, appreciate the aesthetics and traditions.

Every city has its own area, and Shefshaven is no exception. In the heart of the old city is Uta el Hammam Square, famous for its atmosphere, where Arab and Spanish influences intersect. This can be seen in fantastic cuisine, from street food to restaurants. The central point of Chefchaouen is great for relaxing and contemplating the majestic mountains. It's also a place for people-watching in the heart of the city's activity.

Having learned that I was going to Morocco, all my friends who had already been there advised me to definitely visit the blue city of Chefchaouen. They said it's something. Spoiler - really something.

Very beautiful place. No talking. And, yes, if it were the 19th century now, I would not have been able to get there. Intrigued? Then read on.

Perhaps it’s worth starting with the fact that only Russians call the blue city Chefchaouen. The Moroccans themselves call it Shifshaun, and the Europeans - Chefchaouen. Getting here from Tangier is easy.

Do not contact guides on the Internet who promise to take you to Chefchaouen, give you a tour on the spot, and then take you back for 130 euros - we came across such offers when planning a trip.

It is better to go to the Grand Taxy Station of Tangier in the morning and take a shared taxi. In fact, this is just a car for six, the fare to Chefchaouen is 70 dirhams, which is equivalent to 7 euros. The only thing is to wait for fellow travelers to pick up.

The road to the blue city takes 2 hours. During the trip, you will see the mountains of Morocco, and women in traditional Berber outfits - they go about their business along the roadway, and donkeys with sheep that graze on the side of the road. Tourists are dropped off near the medina. Another 10 minutes on foot and you are already in the scenery, considering which it is difficult not to start humming: “Blue-blue frost”.

Shaven is a small city, but another metropolis can envy its history. According to official data, the settlement was founded in 1471 by the emir Ali-ben-Moussa-bin-Rashid-el-Alami, who arrived in Morocco from neighboring Andalusia.

But, as they say, "this is inaccurate." According to other sources, the Moroccan Berbers lived here long before the advent of the emir. However, it was at the end of the 15th century that Chefchaouen acquired a mosque, and at the same time a fortress, in order to defend himself from the Portuguese, who at that time actively plied the seas with completely non-peaceful goals and objectives.

The dawn of the city began in 1492, when Jews expelled from Spain arrived here en masse. Yes, in fact, for more than four centuries, Shaven was a Jewish city. Representatives of this people came here, of course, not from a good life. Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, the most powerful and controversial royal couple in Spanish history, are to blame for everything.

On the one hand, during their reign, America was discovered by Columbus, Granada was taken, and Spain finally began to turn into an integral state, but Isabella and Ferdinand should also be “thanked” for the terrible Spanish Inquisition. The Jews, under the reign of the royal couple, had a hard time at all. At first they were moved to the ghetto, and in 1492 the rulers issued the Alhambra Edict, according to which the Jews were given only 4 months to either convert to Catholicism or leave the kingdom.

Actually, according to the most popular version, it was the Jews expelled from Castile and Aragon who came up with the idea to paint the houses in Chavin in blue and blue. They believed that in this way they would be closer to heaven. Significantly, along with the chosen people, Muslim Moors also arrived in Morocco, because the rules of the already mentioned Alhambra Edict also applied to them: Catholicism or exile.

The peoples lived together for some time, then mixed, and in fact the city became a Sephardic community - the place of residence of a sub-ethnic group of Jews. So Chefchaouen remained until the beginning of the 20th century.

Moreover, at some point in history it was proclaimed a holy city, and non-Christians were simply not allowed in here. Only the French priest Charles Eugene de Foucauld managed to outwit everyone: in 1883 he entered the city, pretending to be a rabbi.

Chefchaouen became an open city only in 1912, after the conquest by the Spanish troops. And a completely different chapter began in his story. The Spaniards ruled Chavin until Morroco's independence in 1956, and the city is said to have been the last to lower the Spanish flag. However, the Spanish influence here is strong to this day: at least the locals speak Spanish many times better than English.

A walk along Chefchaouen is an endless wandering in back streets and alleys, descents, ascents and descents again. Watching cats that jump from rooftop to rooftop. And photographing the most beautiful doors, of course, also painted in all shades of azure.

Yes, despite the fact that now Muslims, not Jews, live in Chefchaouen, the tradition of painting the facades of buildings in blue and blue not only has not disappeared, but has also been officially enshrined. Today, local residents are forbidden to color their homes to their own taste. It is believed that Marrakesh should be terracotta, Asilah - white, but Chefchaouen must be the color of heaven.

By the way, the city is famous for one more circumstance. Europeans come here to smoke kief, from the Arabic kayf, meaning "pleasure" of course. Cannabis in Morocco is grown quite openly, and then delivered to Amsterdam. At the same time, the use of a potion pressed into cakes is not a completely legal story here, but this stops few people.

The Spaniards even ride in Chefchaouen, as in Amsterdam: relax for the weekend, because it costs several times cheaper. It is not surprising that in such a small town today as many as 200 hotels are open, and, they say, it is difficult to find a room here in the summer - there are so many who want to taste the product from the plantations in the north of the country.

By the way, this seems to be the only reason why many tourists hang out in the blue city for several days, or even a week. In fact, a couple of hours is more than enough to see it. The third can be taken to lunch in one of the restaurants with a veranda: they are at every turn in Chefchaouen, and the fourth can be spent bargaining with local sellers of carpets and ceramics - especially skilled ones can halve the price of an item they like.

Well, then - again to the taxi stop, where there will definitely be 3-4 cars heading to Tangier. True, keep in mind that on the way back you can wait for fellow travelers for a very long time. We recruited people as much as 40 minutes.

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Julia Malkova- Julia Malkova - founder of the website project. Former editor-in-chief of the elle.ru Internet project and editor-in-chief of the cosmo.ru website. I talk about traveling for my own pleasure and the pleasure of readers. If you are a representative of hotels, tourism office, but we are not familiar, you can contact me by email: [email protected]

Photographer Anastasia Kolesnikova told PRTBRT about her two-week trip to Morocco.

We all love to travel and often start from well-trodden popular routes. But is everyone ready to go to a country far from the usual tourist attractions? Giant canyons, hot endless Sahara, a blue city of incredible beauty, waterfalls, snowy Atlas Mountains, a wild and friendly Oasis and much more! All this is Morocco.

Route

Casablanca - Chefchaouen - Fes - Er Rachidia - Merzouga - Ouarzazate - Marrakesh - Sidi Ifni (Legzira) - Essaouira - Casablanca. All this took 16 days.

Visa: You can stay in Morocco without a visa for up to 90 days.
Air travel: Direct air travel is operated by Royal Air Maroc, but with transfers it will be much cheaper.
Housing: Often when people hear "travel all over Morocco", they ask themselves: how is this possible? How did you find the right accommodation? For some reason, most people represent this country as an undeveloped Arab hole. In reality, the opposite is true.

The Kingdom of Morocco is very well prepared for travelers and is always happy to host them anywhere in the country. We searched for accommodation through Booking, Airbnb and directly on the spot. All options turned out to be very good and profitable. It is quite difficult to choose something special, because each city had its own flavor. We wanted to stay in traditional places where everything is saturated with the spirit of an African country. No five-star hotels filled with monotonous boring furniture and perfect service.

Car rent: We rented a car right at the Casablanca airport. Our requirements were modest: a good ride, roomy luggage, GPS, music and low fuel consumption. It turned out to be difficult to withstand the first Moroccan bargaining: we spent an hour in the closet! From 30 thousand rubles (approximately 5700 dirhams) they bargained for 20 thousand plus 6 thousand rubles for the navigator. GPS with a flooded map of the country is an absolutely necessary thing here, especially in cities. Even the best paper maps of Morocco do not shine with details - getting lost in the center is not worth anything. And the names of the streets are not customary to write here. ( If you do not want to spend money on a navigator, then download the Maps.me application in advance. - Approx. ed.)

National cuisine: The main national dish is tagine. This word means both the dishes and the dish cooked in it. What is a tagine? Clay pot with a high conical lid. It is very hermetic, due to this, no steam escapes during cooking, and no aroma is even felt. Therefore, the taste is rich and bright. Tagine can be of three types: chicken, fish and lamb meat. IN without fail the table is served with olives (sometimes several types) and a bread cake. The set lunch also includes soup, vegetable salad, dessert and drinks (both hot and cold).
Couscous is a well-known dish in Moroccan cuisine; it is usually served hot at the end of a meal. It is made from cereals and olive oil, the ingredients are stewed in a thick-walled cauldron with the addition of vegetables, raisins and lentils. Couscous is served with fragrant ksra flatbread. Drinks - aromatic green tea with fresh mint.

Casablanca

The main attraction of Casablanca is the Hassan II Mosque. The building stands on a ledge that is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. It is the largest mosque in the country and the seventh largest in the world. With a minaret 210 meters high, it is the tallest religious building in the world. A laser is installed at the top of the minaret, the light from which is directed to Mecca.
Our first accommodation in Morocco exceeded all expectations: an Airbnb booking turned into a huge apartment, hospitable hosts and a laid table with treats. Here we were treated to Moroccan tea. It is drunk from small glass piles. The locals pour it from a high-lifted silver teapot.

Chefchaouen

Azure steps, cornflower blue shutters, turquoise flower pots and blue houses - this is Chefchaouen, the city where the sky has settled! You only need to walk around the city on foot, no transport will let you feel all the beauty of this place. And the roads here are narrow and paved. The walk should start from the central square of the Old Town, where the main monuments are concentrated. From the terraces of the cafe you can admire the view of the city, and the red sandstone fortress, and the mosque with an octagonal minaret, and the panorama of the majestic mountains.

In Chefchaouen we booked a riad - a traditional Moroccan house or palace. Riads usually have a patio with a garden, from where natural light penetrates into all rooms of the house. The interior of the blue riad Riad Nerja Chaouen is amazing: living rooms with cozy soft sofas and subdued light, soft carpets on the floor, friendly staff, excellent clean rooms. All this pleasure cost us about 6 thousand rubles for two nights from four.
Interesting fact: In the evenings, you will definitely meet locals selling marijuana. Chefchaouen is Morocco's leader in the cultivation of hemp, which the locals call chocolate. They grow it here for industrial purposes, and this does not affect the criminal situation in any way.

Fes

Five or six hours drive - and we find ourselves in the former capital of Morocco, Fez.
Fez is the third largest city in Morocco and has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is the embodiment of the history of the country and its spiritual and religious capital. And here are the world-famous dyers (Moulay Abdellah Quarter). They smell, as they say in all guidebooks, disgusting. But the Moroccans immediately give a bunch of mint at the entrance to somehow beat off the smells hovering around you. Entrepreneurial store owners will easily let you in so that you can look at the dyers from above for free. They expect you to buy something in return.

Fez has an excellent market (Medina of Fez) with a lot of handicrafts: dishes and carpets. Trading is required!

Be careful wandering the streets of Fez. They are full of secret passages that create real labyrinths, from which it will take a long time to get out. Therefore, we recommend finding a Moroccan guide. He will tell you about the city and guide you to the right places. You can find it in the city center.

Merzouga and the Sahara Desert

One of the goals of the whole trip is to look at the Sahara Desert, which is 500 kilometers through the Atlas Mountains. The road from Fez to Merzouga is one of the most beautiful and varied I have ever traveled: cedar forests soon gave way to Martian landscapes, red-brown slovenly villages, then mountainous snowy ridges, by morning - rocky valleys with palm oases. Sometimes I got the impression that you were not in Africa, but somewhere in Norway or Iceland. And just before the desert, everything changed again and became golden. Merzouga is the gateway to the Sahara for travelers, it was here that we felt like real heroes of an oriental fairy tale: wrapped in blankets from Fez, we sat by the fire on a dune and drank tea. By morning, the light of the sun slowly painted the sand pink, and the dunes towered hundreds of meters above us in warm, graceful lines.
We also rented accommodation here on Airbnb - modestly Berber, but inexpensive and five minutes by car to the dunes. There were even camels and a donkey grazing in the yard!

Todra Gorge

The Todra Gorge, formed in the High Atlas Mountains, is well known to European rock climbers who hone their skills here. The river created the canyon, leaving at its narrowest point only ten meters wide between 300-meter vertical walls.
Palm oases invariably accompany any settlement here, successfully diluting the monotonous ocher color with greenery.

Film Studio Atlas Corporation

The route lies in Ouarzazate and the film studio Atlas Corporation. It is considered one of the largest in the world. In the Atlas, parts of Cleopatra's castle, the temple of Ra and Set, the huts of the Arabs, parts of Jerusalem, the Coliseum prison, Ali Baba's house and courtyard were erected in real size.

Walking around the film studio is an amazing thing: all the time you want to climb either on the stone block of a giant staircase, or on the roof of a rural house, from which, as in life, a second house has already grown, then you want to scatter and do somersaults, as in The Matrix , pushing off a giant stone column ... There is only one thing: all objects look very realistic, but in fact they are made of artificial materials and are very fragile.
Films shot in this film studio: "Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra", "Lawrence of Arabia", "Gladiator", "Alexander", "Troy", "Clone", "Star Wars", "Babylon", "The Man Who knew too much”, “Kingdom of Heaven”, “The Last Temptation of Christ”, “Alexander the Great” and others.

Ouarzazate and Ait Ben Haddou

This ancient city is woven from dozens of kasbahs - clay fortresses of various heights, each of which is crowned with a battlement tower and decorated with openwork ornaments. Numerous round arches and narrow passages connect winding streets and create a complex labyrinth. On the slope itself, forming multi-tiered terraces, dwellings with flat roofs sheltered.
The valley of the Ouarzazate River runs through the desert, the river begins on the southern slopes of the High Atlas and is further lost in the sands of the Sahara. Red adobe kasbahs are surrounded by green palm groves - like a movie theater! And in fact, filmmakers do not miss the opportunity to use the unique natural scenery for filming: even if you have never been to Morocco before, the view of Ait Ben Haddou may be familiar to you from dozens of films.
Ksar has been and remains extremely popular as a filming location for films that use oriental scenes to one degree or another. "Lawrence of Arabia", "The Man Who Wanted to Be King", "Jesus of Nazareth", "Time Bandits", "The Pearl of the Nile", "Sparks from the Eyes", "The Last Temptation of Christ", "Under the Cover of Heaven" were filmed here. , "Mummy", "Gladiator", "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time".

Marrakesh

The main attraction of the city - central square Jemaa el Fna, for which tourists from all over the world come here. This is the heart of the city, which lives 24 hours a day. The smell of dried apricots and spices, fresh orange juice, cries of fortune-tellers, dancers, speakers, healers, beggars, tattoo artists, snake charmers with cobras, hundreds of people. All this will drag you into the whirlpool right here.

Nothing interesting happens in the square in the morning. It all starts after lunch. People begin to gather on the square, hastily set up pavilions, put up roughly knocked together benches and tables, roll out boilers and begin the nightly action. The entire center of the huge square is transformed into an open-air kitchen. Here you can taste delicious meshui - tender and very juicy meat, which is fried on coals for several hours; tagine - lamb stewed in a special clay pot; Hariru is a thick, rich tomato soup with lentils and lemon. After sunset, the entire area is shrouded in clouds of steam and smoke, hundreds of small fireflies begin to burn.

The sky tones of the streets in the Moroccan city of Chefchaouen (Shevshaven, Chaouen, Chefchaouen) seem like a fabulous scenery. The color palette of the rising medina is replete with piercing shades of blue, blue and azure. The city, where the walls of buildings, window frames, wooden doors of houses, steps and even flower pots are filled with blue, is one of the largest tourist centers in northern Morocco. Saturated shades of blue azure, turning into blue and purple tones, are updated several times a year. Residents of Chefchaouen paint buildings anew before major holidays and festivals that take place in the city several times a year.

Shaven, founded in 1471 as a fortress to protect against Portuguese invaders, owes such color monotony to the local Jewish community. The city became one of the largest refuges for Jews expelled from Spain during the Reconquista. According to biblical precepts, the blue and blue shades of houses should symbolize the prayer cover of the tallit (tales) and remind of God. The Jewish population of Shaven has decreased significantly since the 15th century, but the locals have retained the tradition of painting buildings in heavenly tones.

You can stay in Chefchaouen for a few days. In addition to walking around the medina and visiting the city museum, it is worth taking time to travel along the Er Rif (Ter Rif) mountain range encircling the city. The old part of the "blue city" is quite small - and you can walk along the narrow streets without a guide, but it is better to go on an excursion to the mountains with one of the local guides. A walk around the neighborhood traditionally begins north of the medina - from the famous source of Ras al-Ma, which supplies the whole city with fresh water.

In April and May, Chefchaouen is especially picturesque. Flowers bloom all over the city, the various shades of which contrast incredibly colorfully with the blue, azure and blue walls of the houses.

How to get there

The nearest major transport center to Chefchaouen - the city of Tangier - is located 85 kilometers to the north-west. You can also get to the "blue city" from Fes, Meknes, Casablanca, Rabat and other major tourist centers of Morocco.

Bus service is provided by the transport company CTM, whose flights connect Chefchaouen with Fez and Meknes (travel time - four hours; ticket price - 70 MAD (~ $ 7.0)), Casablanca (travel time - five and a half hours; bus departs daily at 13:15; ticket price - 120 MAD (~ $ 12.0)), Rabat (travel time - four hours; bus leaves daily at 14:45; ticket price - 90 MAD (~ $ 9.0)). You can get from Tangier with a change in Tetouan (total travel time - a couple of hours; ticket price - about 45 MAD (~ $ 4.5)).

There are no direct bus routes connecting Chefchaouen with Agadir and Marrakesh. The best way to get there is with a change in Casablanca. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the stations or on the CTM website. The bus station of Chefchaouen is located at a small distance from the medina, at the bottom of the slope.

Location

Chefchaouen lies at the foot of the Rif mountain range, in the northwest.

Have you ever wanted to find yourself in a heavenly city? Such as in Volkov's fairy tale, such as Malvina dreamed of. So I will say that fairy tales are very often close to reality and the city of the color of the sky really exists!

If you happen to visit Morocco, take a look at the heavenly place in the north-west of the country - the city of Chefchaouen. He is really charming.

The city was founded in 1471, and until 1920 only 3 foreigners visited it. Today, Chefchaouen is a tourist destination, while remaining very interesting and unique. The city is famous for its rich history, beautiful nature and great architecture.

However, he gained great fame for his bright, blue walls of many buildings in the "Old City", or as it is called here - the Medina. Medina is a labyrinth of low, one-two-story buildings, wandering through which it is very easy to get lost. Such a layout of Arab cities was done in order to confuse the enemy who invaded the city.

It seems strange why absolutely everything should be repainted in a blue tint: flowerpots, benches, doors with a fence, and, of course, walls. One gets the impression that the sea has merged with the sky and "bathed" the houses, the streets of the city in bluish-azure shades. Everything is so unusual. And the story is...

When the people of Chefchaouen decided to paint their houses blue, they didn't think about the great interest that their city might generate among tourists. Meanwhile, it was the blue color of the houses that made Chefchaouen one of the most interesting sights of Morocco (unless, of course, we close our eyes to the fact that the city also has the “dark” glory of the “drug center” of the country). It's just that the inhabitants of the old part of the city live the way they are used to.

The reason for the blue color is in religion. Along with Muslims, Chefchaouen has long been home to a fairly large community of Sephardic Jews. They brought with them the belief that blue is the color of the prayer veil, the tallit.

The more often we look at the blue color, the more opportunities there will be to remember the blue sky above us and God. Over time, the tradition of painting houses in all shades of blue has taken root, becoming an integral feature of the old quarters of the city.

Painting the walls blue has taken root because of the practical benefits - many residents of the city believe that blue walls serve to repel mosquitoes, because mosquitoes do not like flickering and moving water. The blue walls of the city attract many tourists who like to wander through the narrow streets of the city and take beautiful photos as a keepsake.

Chefchaouen at the same time resembles a developed European city, but also looks like a quiet and sparsely populated village. While walking along the quiet lanes, you can observe the work of artisans in small workshops.

The city also became famous for its carpets and fabrics, with a variety of ornaments and bright patterns, the most delicate cheese and goat's milk, Moroccan chocolate - hemp.

Life here is quiet and calm. No fuss or confusion. And from the reef mountain there is a beautiful view of this amazing city with its shades of blue, blue, azure and turquoise. So the video was found, look at the city live.

When the previous melody ends, turn on this one. The video is almost silent.

Among the most visited sights is the mosque with an octagonal minaret, an old fortress whose history began around the 15th century. There is an ethnographic museum located on one of the 11 crenellated towers.

I hope you understand that the city of blue color is by no means a blue dream. Located on the slopes of the Rif Mountains, Chefchaouen seems to run down their slopes in ornate tiers, shimmering in the sun's rays with all shades of azure - from light blue to dark blue. A mesmerizing sight worth seeing.

Music: Igor Krutoy "Bay of Angels", "I miss you even when I sleep" and "When I close my eyes"