Chefchaouen

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Chefchaouen (Arabic: شفشاون‎, Spanish: Xauen or Chauen) is a town in northwest Morocco. It is the chief town of the province of the same name.

Chefchaouen is situated in the Rif Mountains, just inland from Tangier and Tetouan. The town was founded in 1471, as a fortress, now called Qassaba (often spelled "Kassaba"), by Moorish exiles from Spain led by Moulay Ali Ben Moussa Ben Rached El Alami to fight the Portuguese invasions of northern Morocco.^[1] It was known as one of the main concentrations of Moriscos and Jews who sought refuge in this mountainous city after the Spanish Reconquista in medieval times.^[2] In 1920, the Spanish seized Chefchaouen to form part of Spanish Morocco. Spanish troops imprisoned Abd el-Krim in the Qassaba in 1926 after defeating him with the help of the French force. Spain returned the town after the independence of Morocco in 1956.

1 Background
2 Religion
3 Demography
4 External links
5 References and notes

[edit] Background

A typically blue-rinsed hammam in Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen or Chaouen, as it is often called by Moroccans, is a popular tourist destination given its proximity to Tangier and the Spanish border. The name simply refers to the characteristic shapes of the mountain tops that tower over the town, that look like the two horns (chaoua) of a goat. "Chef Chaouen" should literally mean "look at the horns". Though there are few modern sights, its mountainous location provides a calm and relaxing atmosphere. There are allegedly over two hundred hotels in this tiny mountain village in order to host the summer swarm of European tourists. One distinction possessed by Chefchaouen is its blue-rinsed houses and buildings, a tradition that comes from the town's former Jewish population.

Chefchaouen is a popular shopping destination as well, as it offers many native handicrafts that are not available elsewhere in Morocco, such as wool garments and woven blankets. The goat cheese native to the area is also popular with tourists.

The countryside around it has a reputation for being a prolific source of marijuana, as the land is unsuitable for much else. The Chefchaouen region is one of the main producers of cannabis in Morocco. Hashish is subsequently sold all over town, but is mostly the domain of native Chaouenis.

[edit] Religion

Chefchaouen is a town with a strong religious feel If you can get away from the increasing tourism. The growing tourist industry is geared especially towards Spanish tourists, who are especially numerous during great Catholic feasts like Semana Santa and Christmas. There are a number of distinct mosques in the town. Aside from the strikingly beautiful mosque at Place Uta Hammam in the medina, there is also a mosque dedicated to the patron saint of Northern Morocco's Jebalah region, Moulay Abdessalam ben Mchich. His tomb and the village surrounding it is by the way an hour's drive or so from Chefchaouen on the old road to Larache.