The tourist city of Chefchaouen is located on the northeastern coast of Morocco, and it is located between two huge mountains. Its original name is the city of Chaouen. It is known for its small size, but despite that, it is world famous, as Chefchaouen is known as the blue city in Arab countries, while in Western countries they always call it the blue dream. It is a tourist city that contains a group of waterfalls and picturesque blue streets. This city is known for blending the authenticity and antiquity of Moroccan history and civilization with the famous Andalusian character, due to its proximity to the ancient state of Andalusia and the blending of civilization with it. Construction of the city of Chefchaouen
The city of Chefchaouen was first established in 1471 AD, by Moulay Ali bin Musa bin Rashid Al-Alami, who built it to be a small fortress to guard and protect the northern region of Morocco, and to prevent the Portuguese invaders from attacking and occupying Morocco, and this was during the era of the Islamic state of the Wattasids, and this period was known as the stage of major geographical explorations in the world, and they were afraid of foreign occupation and exploration.
Historical landmarks in the city
- - The first thing that was built immediately after the construction of the city was the Kasbah, which has undergone many restorations over the years, and is currently considered a historical museum containing a collection of stories and cultural landmarks related to the history and culture of Morocco since the beginning of the construction of the city of Chefchaouen, and it is located on the western side of the city, and the Kasbah contains a large garden with two decorated basins, and this Kasbah was built on the culture of ancient Morocco.
- - There is also the square of the baths, which is located in the center of the city and is a public square, with an area of approximately three thousand square meters, and it was initially established to be a weekly market in the city, but over the years this square has turned into a tourist square, as it has become full of many tourist cafes, and shops selling souvenirs, and contains a water fountain in the middle, and many festivals have been held there, including the North Gharb Festival and the International Festival of Arab Theater.
- - The Great Mosque in Chefchaouen is also considered one of the wonderful tourist attractions in the city, as it was built during the rule of the Idrisid scholarly family of Bani Rashid, and that was in the sixteenth century AD, as it was during the rule of Sidi Muhammad bin Moulay bin Ali bin Musa bin Rashid Al-Idrisi Al-Hassani, and it was built in the year 969 AH.
One of the most beautiful features of this mosque is its large size and spacious area, as it contains a number of chandeliers and wooden chandeliers, which are located in the heart of the mosque's mihrab tiles, and most of the materials used in the construction and design of this mosque are rare materials in construction and full of picturesque decorations.
Chefchaouen City, the Blue City
This city was named the Blue City because of the presence and spread of the blue color in all its streets and neighborhoods, as it is a city that is all colored in blue, even its houses, homes and shops, and therefore it is a tourist city that many tourists flock to to enjoy its picturesque climate and wonderful views, and it is also known that in 1492 when the Andalusian state was overthrown, the city received many Spanish families, among whom were Jews and Muslims as well.