City of Blue

Tucked high in the rocky Rif Mountains, just inland from Tangier and Tetouan, is a city painted blue. Chefchaouen, or just Chaouen to the locals, can be spotted from a distance, easily identifiable against the stark rocks, with its blue toned buildings and red slate roofs. Entering the medina immediately leads to a twisting warren of blue alleys and passage ways.

I heard conflicting tales as to why the lower half of every building in the medina was painted blue. One story says that it was started by Jewish refugees during the 1930s, but my guide also mentioned how the blue comes from a local pigment in the rocks of the area, and that it is the shade of Islam. 

Whichever may be the case, the effect is stunning.  Vivid splashes of cobalt, turquoise, teal, white and cyan surround each corner and cobbled alley. Every surface of the bottom ten feet is painted, and although it is apparent that different coats and shades were used, everything is the same hue. I also saw several people touching up their blue walls with a fresh coat of the same paint. It almost felt like walking into an aquarium tank, there is so much of the color, that things not painted, like the street or people, seem to take on a faint indigo tint. 

The ancient walls still stand around the small village, and several minarets dot the skyline above the houses. There was something ancient and untouched about the quiet lanes, and locals dressed in traditional mountain garb. Men wearing full length, woven djellabas, and the women in brightly colored swatches with hats made from straw that are decorated with brightly colored yarn balls like mini-pompoms. 

And throughout the medina were the small, colorful shops of proud Berber craftsmen, selling leather goods, clothing, carpets and much more. At the furthest end of the village, a natural spring gushes forth from the mountain side. Gathered around are the rough mountain women, scrubbing their laundry and their children splashing through the shallows, on the hot Moroccan afternoon. I was sad when the day came to an end, and it was time to leave. I wanted to stay transported back in time, by this tiny untouched village.