What is the name of the blue city in Morocco. City of blue dreams. Chefchaouen in Morocco. Where is the blue city of Chefchaouen located on the map?
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 Chaven. They said it was something. Spoiler – really, something.
Very beautiful place. No talking. And, yes, if it were the 19th century now, I would never 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 Chaven. The Moroccans themselves call it Chifchaun, and the Europeans call it Chefchaouen. Getting here from Tangier is easy.
Do not contact guides on the Internet who promise to take you to Chaven, give you a tour on the spot, and then take you back for 130 euros - we came across such offers when planning our trip.
It is better to go to the Tangier Grand Taxy Station in the morning and take a shared taxi. In fact, it’s just a car for six, the cost of travel to Chaven is 70 dirhams, which is equivalent to 7 euros. The only thing is you need to wait for fellow travelers to arrive.
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 and sheep grazing on the side of the road. They drop off tourists near the medina. Another 10 minutes on foot and you are already in the scenery, looking at which it is difficult not to start humming: “Blue, blue frost.”
Chaven is a small city, but other metropolises might envy its history. According to official data, the settlement was founded in 1471 by Emir Ali ben Moussa ben Rashid el Alami, who arrived in Morocco from neighboring Andalusia.
But, as they say, “this is not accurate.” According to other sources, Moroccan Berbers lived here long before the appearance of the emir. However, it was at the end of the 15th century that Chaven acquired a mosque, and at the same time a fortress, in order to defend against the Portuguese, who at that time were actively plowing the seas with far from 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, Chaven was a Jewish city. Representatives of this people came here, of course, not because of 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 captured, and Spain finally began to transform into an integral state, but Isabella and Ferdinand should also be “thanked” for the terrible Spanish Inquisition. The Jews had a hard time under the rule of the royal couple. At first they were moved to a ghetto, and in 1492 the rulers issued the Edict of Alhambra, according to which Jews were given only 4 months to either convert to Catholicism or leave the kingdom.
Actually, according to the most popular version in blue and blue and it was the Jews expelled from Castile and Aragon who came up with the idea of painting houses in Chaven. They believed that in this way they would be closer to heaven. What is significant is that the Moors-Muslims also arrived in Morocco along with the chosen people, because the rules of the already mentioned Edict of Alhambra 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 subethnic group of Jews. Chaven remained this way until the beginning of the 20th century.
Moreover, at some point in history it was proclaimed a holy city, and people of other faiths were simply no longer allowed here. Only the French priest Charles Eugene de Foucault managed to outwit everyone: in 1883, he entered the city, pretending to be a rabbi.
Chaven became an open city only in 1912, after its conquest by Spanish troops. And a completely different chapter began in his story. The Spanish ruled Chavin until Moroccan independence in 1956, and it is said that the city was the last to lower the Spanish flag. However, the Spanish influence here is strong to this day: at least in Spanish local residents They speak many times better than English.
A walk through Chavin is an endless wandering through nooks and alleys, descents, ascents and descents again. Observations of cats jumping from roof to roof. And taking pictures beautiful doors, of course, also painted in all shades of azure.
Yes, despite the fact that now Muslims, and not Jews, live in Chaven, the tradition of painting the facades of buildings blue not only did not disappear, but was also officially enshrined. Today, local residents are prohibited from coloring their homes to their own taste. It is believed that Marrakech should be terracotta, Asilah should be white, but Chaven should always 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, which means, of course, “pleasure.” Cannabis in Morocco is grown completely openly, and then delivered to Amsterdam. At the same time, drinking the potion pressed into cakes is not entirely legal here, but this stops few people.
The Spaniards even go to Schaven like they go to Amsterdam: to relax for the weekend, because it costs several times less. It is not surprising that in such small town Today, as many as 200 hotels are open, and they say that in the summer it is difficult to find a room here - there are so many people who want to taste the product from the plantations in the north of the country.
By the way, it seems that this alone may be the 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 explore it. The third can be taken to lunch in one of the restaurants with a veranda: they are at every turn in Chaven, and the fourth can be spent haggling with local sellers of carpets and ceramics - especially skillful ones can reduce the price of the item they like by half.
Well, and then - again to the taxi stop, where there will definitely be 3-4 cars heading to Tangier. However, keep in mind that on the way back you can wait for your fellow travelers for a very long time. It took us 40 minutes to recruit people.
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Yulia Malkova- Yulia Malkova - founder of the website project. In the past, he was the editor-in-chief of the elle.ru Internet project and the editor-in-chief of the cosmo.ru website. I talk about travel for my own pleasure and the pleasure of my readers. If you are a representative of hotels or a tourism office, but we do not know each other, you can contact me by email: [email protected]
In the northwestern part of Morocco, on the slopes of the Rif Mountains, is located the picturesque city of Chefchaouen, famous for its rich history, picturesque nature and beautiful ancient architecture. However, its main feature lies in the color of the buildings running down the slopes, the vast majority of which are painted in various shades of blue - from light blue to azure. The combination of all the advantages of Chefchaouen makes it one of the most beautiful and popular cities in the world.
The foundation of the city dates back to 1471. Some time after its inception, towards the end of the century, it became a haven for large quantity Muslims and Jews expelled from Spain. They liked the Moroccan town lying on a hill, surrounded by walls and protected on one side by mountain ranges, which promised to serve them as a reliable fortress. Upon arrival in Chefchaouen they began to form it appearance based on samples from his native Andalusia. That is why most of the walls in the old quarters are painted in a color sacred to Jews, which always reminds believers of heaven and God.
Due to the fact that for several centuries Chefchaouen had the status of a sacred place and non-religious people were forbidden to visit it on pain of death, it has retained its medieval appearance intact to this day. The tradition of painting buildings in various shades of blue has taken root among the local population, becoming an integral feature of the old part of the city.
You can get to Chefchaouen from the closest city to it - Tangier, the journey from which takes 5 hours by bus. Ticket price is 4 dollars.
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Marco Polo – Italian merchant and traveler, author of the book “The Book of the Diversity of the World”
Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen is a small city located in the northwestern part of Morocco. This city is the center of the province of the same name; it lies in the Rif Mountains, between the cities of Tangier and Tetovan. This is the only Moroccan city where yellow, red and green do not dazzle your eyes. The city is known primarily for its old part, almost all the houses in which are painted in different shades blue color.
The city was founded in 1471 by immigrants from Spain - initially only a small fortress was built here, which has survived to this day. Since the 1920s, Chefchain was part of Spanish Morocco and only in 1956 came under the jurisdiction of independent state Morocco.
Today the city's population is about 35 thousand inhabitants. IN lately The popularity of the city among tourists has increased significantly; many new hotels have appeared here (there are now about 200 of them in the city!), souvenir shops and restaurants.
The city is especially popular among tourists from Spain to winter time year, during the Christmas holidays. Among the popular attractions are the runes of the old mosque, the remains ancient fortress 15th century, as well as numerous parks and gardens, the most famous of which are National Park Thalassemtan, Talembot Park, Buhashem Nature Reserve and others.
Here, as throughout Morocco, there are a lot of cats. There is almost no dirt, garbage heaps or stench of latrines in this pretty tourist town. Another problem here is the suburban marijuana plantations, thanks to which Chefchaouen bears the title of “hashish capital”.
The tradition of painting houses blue was introduced by Jewish refugees, who believed that the more often you look at the color blue, the more opportunities you have to remember heaven and God.
What does the celestial city look like? According to many, it must certainly be located in the mountains, so that above the tops low houses Clouds walked sedately. It must be very warm here! And the sky here should be so close that if you try a little, you can reach it with your hand. Surprisingly, such a place exists. And these are not the inventions of Hollywood directors, but the real blue city of Chefchaouen, which is located in Morocco.
This northwestern part of Morocco is known for its tranquil landscapes and particularly vibrant skies above. If you look at Chefchaouen from afar, you get the impression that there is a cloud above the city that casts its transparent shadow on buildings with warm red roofs. However, if you come closer, you can see that the light bluish tint to the city is not given by a large cloud (there are practically no clouds over Morocco), but by houses, which, as if according to the idea of a modern artist, are painted blue.
Indeed, if you walk through the narrow streets of Chefchaouen, you can see the stunning features of this city: houses, stairs, window frames and even flower pots here are painted in all shades of blue. It was as if the sky itself had decided to dissolve into the city in this way, bringing all the local residents closer to itself.
Why blue?
All tourists who continue to come to Chefchaouen to this day ask an absolutely logical question: where did this unusual tradition of painting buildings and numerous decorative items blue come from? After all, when we talk about Morocco, we immediately imagine a colorful variety of colors and patterns that create a unique oriental atmosphere. Therefore, this preference for blue over all others is often especially incomprehensible.
This tradition dates back to 1471. It was at this time that the Muslims, who defended their lands from the Portuguese invasion, built a fortress between the Reef Mountains. It had an extremely favorable location: it was protected by high mountain ranges, and the elevation on which the fortress was located made it possible to keep the surrounding lands under control.
When Jews from Spain came here in the 15th-17th centuries looking for salvation, they decided to find refuge in this place. It was from them that this tradition came - to paint buildings blue. The fact is that Jews perform their prayers using several attributes. One of them is a prayer shawl, which in turn has a tzitzit (a bundle of threads woven in a special way). And one of the main components of such a bundle is a blue thread. She must be special color“thelet”, described in the Talmud as “the color of the sea, similar to the color of the sky, similar to the color of the Throne of Glory of the Most High.” The Jews painted their houses blue and thus remembered that God was very close to them, and in this way they could get closer to him.
Today, on the streets of Chefchaouen you can find all shades: azure, like the surface of the sea, deep blue, reminiscent of infinity. However, thekhelet is originally a pale blue color, mostly close to white. The current state of the Moroccan city is explained by the desire of local residents to make money from tourists. They succeed: the bluest streets become the most popular. Nevertheless, even this commercial move does not make Chefchaouen any less attractive, because in addition to the special color of the walls, there is that same oriental flavor that so attracts people from all over the world.
For a long time, Chefchaouen was declared a holy city. This completely closed the entrance to the territory for non-believers. Those who wanted to disobey had to risk their own lives. Despite the fact that Chefchaouen is geographically close to Spain, Portugal, as well as the Mediterranean Sea and the Strait of Gibraltar, before the beginning of the 20th century, only three Europeans visited the blue city.
Each of them had to try a lot to avoid being detected by the local population. Thus, the French explorer Charles Eugene Foucault, in order to get into the city, disguised himself as a rabbi and stayed on the territory of the forbidden city for a short time. more than an hour. The next uninvited guest of the blue city was Walter Harris, a correspondent for The Times. He pretended to be a Moorish merchant, but spent most of the time he was able to spend in Chefchaouen as a vagabond. And least of all was William Summers. This American missionary managed to get into the territory of Chefchaouen, but soon after that, he was poisoned.
Everything changed in 1912, when, thanks to a Franco-Spanish agreement, Spanish troops entered the territory of the blue city and presented its beauty to the outside world.
The most popular product that Chefchaouen is famous for is hashish. This is due to the fact that the city is surrounded by several huge hemp plantations. That is why almost every Moroccan, young and old, winks at confused tourists and offers “ha-a-shish” in a whistling whisper. Of course, in addition to this, there are other famous products here. For example, famous goat cheese, for which people come from all over the surrounding area.
The most popular month to visit Chefchaouen is April. It is then that hundreds of exotic flowers bloom here, which further transform the beautiful city.
To create the color "thelet" the ancient Jews used natural dye. It was extracted from certain types of shellfish. Over time, the recipe for creating the “divine shade” was lost, and its production was stopped.
If you manage to visit Chefchaouen, you will forever take with you an extraordinary feeling of peace and tranquility. You will remember the beautiful fairy-tale city, in which the bright blue walls of the houses are set off by their cozy red roofs and where you never leave the feeling that you have touched the sky, at least a little.
| Chaven (Chefchaouen) – the blue city in Morocco
Chaven (Chefchaouen) – the blue city in Morocco
Chaouen (Chefchaouen) is a town located at the foot of the Rif Mountains in northwestern Morocco. The heavenly tones of the streets in this Moroccan city seem like a fairytale setting. The color palette of the uphill medina is replete with piercing shades of blue, azure 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. Rich shades of blue azure, turning into blue and purple tones, are updated several times a year. Residents of Chaven paint their buildings anew before major holidays and festivals that take place in the city several times a year.
Such color scheme Founded in 1471 as a fortress against Portuguese invaders, Chaven owes its debt to the local Jewish community. The city became one of the largest refuges for Jews expelled from Spain during the Reconquista. According to biblical covenants, blue and light blue shades of houses should symbolize the tallit (tales) prayer shawl and remind of God. The Jewish population of Chaven has declined significantly since the 15th century, but local residents have maintained the tradition of painting buildings in heavenly colors.
Before 1920, only three Europeans visited Chaven. And this despite its proximity to the Mediterranean Sea, the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain and Portugal. The first was the famous French African explorer and missionary Charles Eugene de Foucauld (1858–1916), who appeared in Chaven in 1883 for just one hour, dressed as a rabbi. The second was a correspondent for The Times of London, Walter Harris, who traveled to Morocco in the late 1880s. He entered the city disguised as a Moorish merchant and lived there for some time as a vagabond. The third one was the least fortunate. It was the American missionary William Summers, who was poisoned during his visit to Chaven in 1892. So why did Chaven remain closed to foreigners for a long time? Why were the brave souls who dared to visit it forced to disguise themselves in order to save their lives?
Shawen was founded in 1471 by Moulay Ali Ben Moussa Ben Rached El Alami. The main task of the city at that time was to protect against the invasions of the Portuguese, who settled in the north of the country, in Ceuta. As a defensive point, Chaven was ideal: a good location at the foot of high mountains, a strong fortress wall, a river covering the city on one side - all this significantly complicated any attack. In the Middle Ages, Andalusian Jews and Muslims expelled from Spain during the Reconquista flocked to the city. They brought their culture, art and business acumen, providing rapid development and prosperity of the city. That is why Charles Eugene Foucault was able to calmly appear in Chavin in the guise of a rabbi. Jewish and Moorish "traces" are still strongly felt in the city.
Many people in Chaven make hashish, but the crime rate in the city is low. It is safe to walk along the medieval narrow streets, immersed in blue and greenery, at any time of the day. In 1920, the Spaniards first captured Chaven, but the local population, mostly rebellious and overly proud Berbers, calling themselves " free people", they desperately resisted. Hatred towards foreign invaders and European influence in general, nurtured over centuries, resulted in a long confrontation. The Spaniards could not take control of the Reef region. However, in 1926 they still succeeded, albeit with the help of the French. Chaven belonged to the Spanish crown until 1956, when Morocco gained independence.
Today this “fanatical Berber city,” as Walter Harris called it, is open to everyone. Hostility towards foreigners, quite understandable by history, is receding, and Western influence very slowly but surely penetrates the narrow streets of the Medina, into cozy shops and restaurants. And if earlier Berber children, seeing a person with a European appearance, began to throw stones at him, now Chavenian children do not miss the opportunity, smiling modestly, to extend their hand to you and beg for money in fluent Spanish. And yet, in Chaven, like nowhere else, the atmosphere of the “real” Middle Ages reigns. Tourists here are treated with interest and curiosity, but there are so few of them here compared to the famous Fez, Marrakech and Rabat that they simply cannot significantly influence the life of this strange city frozen in time.
Sights of Chavin
Chaven is often said to be one of the most beautiful cities in Morocco. And all because of the piercing blue Old Town. You find yourself on the streets of the local Medina climbing up the mountain, and you don’t believe that this is a real city in which they live ordinary people. Neat white Andalusian style houses with bright blue doors, blue shutters and window frames, blue flower pots and even blue-painted paths look like something out of a fairy tale. Sometimes it even seems that the houses simply “flow” into stairs and sidewalks, and the streets become like a multi-level labyrinth of frozen blue glaze. For all major holidays, the Medina is repainted again, so this heavenly blue is always preserved here in all its manifestations - from light blue to rich purple. And regardless of the weather, even if there are dark clouds in the sky, Chaven always looks bright and cheerful.
Kasbah (from Arabic “city”) is a fortified house or fortified quarter. IN North Africa this word denotes a citadel in a system of city fortifications. The Kasbah tower offers a picturesque view of the city. In addition to the fact that the Medina in Chaven, unlike other Moroccan cities, is incredibly clean (Chaven received a national award for sanitary conditions), it is also “living”, that is, it is first and foremost a residential area, and only then a market and gathering place shopping shops. However, if we talk about trade, then Chaven has something to brag about. And most importantly - these are woolen products (carpets, clothes, etc.), bright colors and designs reminiscent of Peruvian and Mexican motifs, which you will not find anywhere else in Morocco. As is customary in the country, you can observe the work of many artisans by visiting their workshops. On some streets there is a pleasant smell of wood - furniture is made here, on others you can hear the sound of dishes being minted here, on others ancient weaving looms rustle quietly. At the same time, buying anything in Chaven is always a calmer and more relaxed event than, for example, hectic and often too intrusive shopping in Fez.
All the main attractions of Chaven, all of its visible tourist life, are concentrated in the central square of the Old Town (Uta el-Hammam). The main trump card of the cafes and restaurants that fill the square is the presence open terrace on the top floor with views of the city, mountains and the lively square itself with the ancient kasbah (fortress). This red sandstone fortress was built by the Portuguese who were defeated in 1578 at the Battle of El Ksar el Kebir (Alcazarquivir) and captured. They were forced to build dungeons for themselves, where they spent last days of your life. In 1926, a local hero, the main leader of the uprising of the peoples of the Rif against the Spanish conquerors, Abdu-l-Karim, nicknamed the “Wolf of the Rif,” was imprisoned in the fortress. True, some consider this unconfirmed fact just a legend, assuring that Abdul-Karim had never been to Shaven.
Behind the walls of the Kasbah there is a small but lush garden and a small ethnographic museum of Chaven. And very close to the fortress there is a very beautiful and rather unusual Main Mosque with an octagonal minaret. The mosque, built by the son of the founder of Chaven, Sidi Mohamed Alami, has always played a prominent role in the political and spiritual life of the city. The mosque building itself, whitewashed with lime, blends well with the white and blue houses surrounding the square, while the minaret, made of blood-red brick, looks good next to the ocher ruins of the Kasbah.
Ras el Ma is located in the north of the old city. This source of water is vital for the townspeople. Children play happily in the square and in the narrow streets of the Medina, and even kick a ball right in the small cemetery located near the fortress wall at the very top of the city. Berber children do not have fashionable European roller skates, bicycles and skateboards. They have only mountains and stones at their disposal, but using these improvised means, they have learned to have fun. The kids climb up a steep dirt road, place a flat stone on the dusty ground, sit on it like a sled, and roll down with joyful cries.
Neighborhoods of Chavin
The dazzling blue and white city lies in a green valley, surrounded on all sides by imposing mountain peaks. One look at Chaven from the outside is enough to fall in love with this picture once and for all. The Reef Mountains, black in some places, red in others, are covered sometimes with coniferous forests, sometimes low-growing bush And yellow flowers, cut by picturesque reddish gorges. Valleys with olive and date groves, tobacco plantations and cactus thickets. Small whitewashed houses scattered here and there on the hills. Piercing blue sky. And this whole picture is filled with bright sunlight and some incredible space. The two majestic twin mountains (Meggu, 1615 m, and Tisuka, 2050 m), at the foot of which Chaouen lies, their outlines resembled goat horns to the first settlers, so the city was nicknamed Chaouen, which, in fact, means “Horns” or "Horns". Later the name was changed a little. Chaven became Chefchaouen (or Chefchaouen), which is translated from the local dialect as “View of the horns.” Today, both names are actively used in Morocco, and in Russia the city is called Chaven.
Anyone who comes to Chaven must go to the mountains to admire the picturesque views of the surrounding area. The walk usually starts north of the Medina - from the famous Ras el-Ma spring, which supplies the entire city with fresh water. Crystal clear ice water a cascade of small waterfalls falls from the mountains. There is also an impromptu laundry where women, using running water, wash clothes and even carpets. Hiking routes to the mountains begin from the source. Winding paths meander between village houses, gardens, and plowed fields, gradually rising higher and higher. Along the way you come across either loaded donkeys, accompanied by Berbers in caftans with long pointed hoods that look like medieval wizards, or herds of goats deftly climbing up the mountain over rocks.
One of the hiking trails leads to a small hill on which stand the remains of an old destroyed mosque. These ruins are a kind of reason for Berber pride. The mosque was built by the Spaniards as a sign of their tolerance of local customs, but the building was destroyed by a lightning strike.
From this hill one of the best views to Chaven: the city, the mountains, and the valley - everything is in full view. It is especially good here to listen to how, far below, the muezzins alternately begin to read in several city mosques evening prayers. The sounds of their mesmerizing voices are repeatedly reflected from the mountains, creating a “song” of incredible beauty and harmony. And something inside you shrinks when you hear these amazing sounds, see the crimson sunset sky hanging over the dark peaks of the mountains, watch how the lights begin to light up in the city, slowly sinking into the twilight. Still, Shaven is special. It is so strikingly different from any other city in Morocco that it seems that it is not Morocco at all. And at the same time, it is here, in Chaven, that the present, the true, has been preserved, which many strive to find in this mysterious land of the setting sun.
It is best to come to Chaven in April and May when it is especially picturesque. Flowers are blooming all over the city, the various shades of which contrast incredibly colorfully with blue, azure and blue walls houses.
How to get to Chaven
The largest transport center closest to Chaven is the city of Tangier, located 85 kilometers to the northwest. You can also get to the “blue city” from Fez, Meknes, Casablanca, Rabat and other major tourist centers of Morocco.
The bus service operates transport company CTM, whose flights connect Chaven with Fez and Meknes (travel time - four hours; ticket price - 70 MAD (~$8.6)), Casablanca (travel time - five and a half hours; bus departs daily at 13:15; ticket price - 120 MAD (~$14.8)), Rabat (travel time - four hours; bus leaves daily at 14:45; ticket price - 90 MAD (~$11.1)). You can get from Tangier with a transfer in Tetouan (total travel time is a couple of hours; ticket cost is about 45 MAD (~$5.5)).
There are no direct bus routes connecting Chaven with Agadir and Marrakech. The best way to get there is to change planes in Casablanca. Tickets can be purchased in advance at stations or on the CTM website. The Chaven bus station is located a short distance from the medina, at the bottom of the slope.
