Chefchaouen is a beautiful city established in the Rif mountains in the 1400s. It began as a fortress to defend potential attacks from Portuguese invaders & eventually grew into a walled medina. There are many theories as to why it is painted blue...
Some say the indigo color helps to keep the mosquitos away. Some believe that the blue symbolizes the waterfall that provides the water for the city. And others say that the large Jewish community that inhabited the city began the tradition because the blue is representative of the heavens & God.
No matter the origin, today's friendly inhabitants work diligently to keep their city freshly painted.
This is a place to just to wander through the winding colored streets...it is a feast for the eyes and really does give one a peaceful feeling...
 |
| You are welcome- |
 |
| Tiny house of 2 rooms |
 |
| One of the many souks along the medina streets- |
 |
| Fresh squeezed juices available- |
 |
| Local woman heading to the neighborhood oven |
 |
| Entrance to the Mellah (Jewish neighborhood) |
 |
| Small square with a big view- |
 |
| Local man in traditional djellaba |
 |
| There may be more cats than people in the medina... |
 |
| Each traditional neighborhood has 5 elements: a mosque, a school, a community fountain, a hamman (bathhouse) and a large oven where everyone brings their breads & cakes to be baked. This couple was firing up the oven in preparation for the day. |
 |
| We took a short hike up to the Spanish mosque for a view of the sunset over the city. |
 |
| Rooftop dinner with a view of the Kasbah |
 |
| Matt ready for his first trip to the hamman |
 |
| The Lina Riad |
 |
| Morning view from our bedroom window- the blanket of fog over the Rif mountains looked like snow... |
No comments:
Post a Comment