Frequently Asked Questions about Casa Blue City Which popular attractions are close to Casa Blue City? Nearby attractions include Chefchaouen Medina (0.09 miles), Place Outa el Hammam & Kasbah (0.2 miles), and Local Berbere Artisanal (0.3 miles). Although the town first formed as a refuge for people of various religious and ethnic backgrounds, today its residents, like most of Morocco, are predominantly Muslim. Newer buildings in the city offer a strikingly bland contrast to the city's tinted history. Balconies painted blue in Chefchaouen. Chefchaouen is situated just inland from Tangier and Tétouan. The Blue Pearl Chefchaouen—often called "Chaouen" by the locals— is undeniably one of the most photographed cities in Morocco, and is among the most colorful cities in the world. If you’re wondering how many days to spend in Chefchaouen, we spent 2 nights and it was perfect. De hecho esta ciudad está hermanada con Ronda. The modernized and recent developments are not painted blue and are much smaller. It was until 1492 when the city received a mass influx of Jews looking to start a community here to escape the Spanish Inquisition. Despite Chefchaouen's historically mixed roots, today most residents of the city, like much of Morocco, are Muslim. Now one of the prettiest towns in Morocco, Chefchaouen was founded in 1471 as a point of defense against the invading Portuguese. It’s all blue. One distinction possessed by Chefchaouen is its blue-rinsed houses and buildings. Although some historians and experts believe the origins of Chefchaouen's famous blue walls come from the Jewish migrants that first populated the area, this has never been fully confirmed. This quirky town is probably one of the prettiest I’ve seen in Morocco because of its blue-washed streets and buildings. I heard a lot of different (some quite unbelievable) theories about why Chefchaouen is blue. Yuriko Nakao/Getty ImagesOnly the old section of Chefchaouen is painted blue. Blue walls adorn the city. A woman walks up some of the many blue steps. The main square in the medina is lined with cafes and filled to the brim with locals and tourist mingling easily. However, the myth that mosquitos are attracted to certain colors has largely been debunked. It’s like nowhere else in the world. Chefchaouen is one of the oldest cities in Morocco, and its beautiful medina has been preserved unchanged for centuries. The population of Chefchaouen is roughly 50,000. None of these claims have been successfully corroborated by historians. Well as the story goes, this funky decor dates back to 1471, when the city of Chefchaouen was founded as a small fortress to fight the Portuguese invasions of northern Morocco. Chefchaouen also known as the Blue City or The Blue pearl of Morocco is somewhere that needs to be on every Moroccan Travel itinerary. Chefchaouen also known as the Blue City or The Blue pearl of Morocco is somewhere that needs to be on every Moroccan Travel itinerary. Its remarkable history dates back to the 15th century when the city was first started as a refugee settlement for Jews, Moors, and other local tribes during the Middle Ages. [9] However, according to some locals, the walls were mandated to be painted blue simply to attract tourists at some point in the 1970s. The founding of this city was to protect the population against the Portuguese and Spanish conquest. No matter the true reasons behind its calming, picturesque landscape, the blue city of Chefchaouen will continue to fascinate the world with its different shades of blue. Chefchaouen is nicknamed "the blue city" because of its small white buildings with windows and doors are painted blue. We reached Chefchaouen from Fez (you can read our experience in this city here). Makes sense of course since Chefchaouen is nicknamed Morocco’s Blue City! Chefchaouen, Morocco's Blue City. Colorful pigments look especially striking against the town's unique blue backdrop. 1924 retreat of the Spanish army from the city, https://books.google.com/books?id=jdlKbZ46YYkC&pg=PA208#v=onepage&q=morocco&f=false%7C, "Las ciudades santas y prohibidas de Marruecos: La santidad, la sacralidad y la impenetrabilidad de Chefchauen en los textos coloniales españoles y franceses", "History : When an American squadron violated US neutrality laws, bombing Chefchaouen", "Chefchaouen: Walking the blue streets of Morocco", "Spanish Mosque | Chefchaouen, Morocco Attractions", "Associacao Nacional Municipios Portgugueses", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chefchaouen&oldid=990513198, Populated places established in the 1470s, Articles with French-language sources (fr), Articles with Arabic-language sources (ar), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 24 November 2020, at 22:21. Chefchaouen is situated just inland from Tangier and Tétouan. Sixth most beautiful city in the world, Chefchaouen Blue City Morocco. Chefchaouen (Arabic: شفشاون Shafshāwan (pronounced IPA: ʃəfˈʃɑˑwən); Berber languages: ⴰⵛⵛⴰⵡⵏ Ashawen), also known as Chaouen, is a city in northwest Morocco. Chefchaouen : Blue City Morocco. View of the Rif mountains which surround Chefchaouen. Chefchaouen means the animal horns as its situated behind two mountains that look like horns. Chefchaouen is a beautiful city in the northern part of Morocco. [2] Along with the Ghomara tribes of the region, many Moriscos and Jews settled here after the Spanish Reconquista in medieval times. The French had occupied Marrakech and other areas at times and the Spanish tried to take where North Chefchaouen is located. Exploring a maze of narrow blue alleys that smelled of spices, flowers and fresh orange is one of the most important things you will enjoy through your trip to Morocco. Nobody knows for sure why the town is painted blue. Chefchaouen is also called “The Blue City,” and for good reason! ‘What’s with all the blue?’ you ask. Many historians believe the town walls were painted blue because of the large number of Jewish refugees among the population. Places to visit in Chefchaouen: Ras El Ma The small blue city with a rich history and architecture draws in travelers from … Chefchaouen Morocco is often called the blue city or the blue pearl. Natasha Ishak is a staff writer at All That's Interesting. Chefchaouen’s walls are daubed in all shades of blue to represent the colour of the sparkling Mediterranean Sea, according to some locals. Others suspect that Chefchaouen was painted blue for the color's soothing effect to keep temperatures cool around the city. Children playing on the streets of Morocco's "blue city.". Leather and weaving workshops line the steep cobbled lanes. Chaouen: location, and founder. Nested in the Rif Mountains, the blue city stands out in the sea of green hills that meet the traveler on the road to Chefchaouen. The city of Chefchaouen in the Kingdom of Morocco is one of the most beautiful cities in the world where the picturesque nature and the blue color, of the nerves and complete calm and cool temperature also Morocco is famous for popular food. Another reason why backpackers love Chefchaouen is the easy availability of drugs. It is also often shortened to Chaouen so the city comes with many names. The Spanish Army retook the city in 1926.[4]. Legend has it that the buildings were officially painted blue to keep mosquitoes away, another legend states that the buildings are blue to symbolize the sky and heaven. Walk around the Blue City Medina Enclosed inside the walls is a burst of colours and it will take you at least a day to see every beautiful nook and cranny. You’ve seen the photos of the famous “Blue City” in Morocco, formally known as Chefchaouen, but how in the hell do you get there? [3] After eight years of the creation of the Spanish Protectorate in Morocco the Spanish Army could effectively take Chaouen, when General Dámaso Berenguer occuppied the city on 14 October 1920. Only the old section of Chefchaouen is painted blue. Welcome to Chefchaouen Beautifully perched beneath the raw peaks of the Rif, Chefchaouen is one of the prettiest towns in Morocco, an artsy, blue-washed mountain village that feels like its own world. The stark contrast between the older blue-colored area of Chefchaouen against the bland exterior throughout the rest of the town provides visitors with an arresting view. Turquoise blue. It is known for its blue-rinsed houses and buildings, a tradition that comes from the town’s former Jewish population. Tourism in Chaouen is driven by its reputation as center of the marijuana plantations region in north Morocco. 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