Welcome back friends. In the previous chapter we left Motril in Spain and crossed the Strait of Gibraltar to Tangier where we docked the boat in Tanja Marina for a second time. The first visit was in 2020 (Morocco-1). We explored the Spanish enclave of Ceuta where we had to deal with a bothersome customs official.
In this chapter we visit beautiful Chefchaouen, appropriately titled the blue pearl of the Rif. The intercity bus service is excellent in Morocco so we bought a ticket for the three hour journey through the countryside to the outskirts of the city.
There is always one………!
After the three hour busride we found ourselves navigating the narrow streets of the medina to find Dar Dadicilef, where we had booked a room for two nights. How blue will it get?
After the formalities we navigated our way through the narrow streets towards Plaza Uta el Hamman, the heart of the medina, with the cities first ever building to your right.
Many Andalusi Muslims, Moriscos (Muslims forcibly converted to Christianity) and Spanish and Portuguese Jews settled in this area during and after the Reconquista, when Spanish Christians re-conquered al-Andalus, the Muslim-controlled part of the Iberian Peninsula (1212 – 1492).
Ali Ben Rashid went to the Emirate of Granada in 1460 and distinguished himself in battle against Christian forces. He settled in Chefchaouen in 1465 and, due to his experience as a warrior, was chosen as leader of the mujahideen (people who engage in jihad) in the northwest of Morocco.
Ali Ben Rashid built the Kasbah in 1472 solely with the aim to wage jihad on the Portugese who had occupied Ceuta since 1415.
Chefchaouen means ‘look at the horns’, referring to the two mountains overlooking the area. The refugees from Al-Andalus built their own residential quarters on the slopes of the two mountains in the Andalusi architectural style, very similar to the traditional quarters of Granada. In a few decades, the fortress of Chefchaouen turned into a prosperous new city.
The urban expansion included military fortifications such as walls with about ten gates and the construction of several mosques. Bab El-Ain is one of the historical gates located along the wall, built during the reign of Moulay Ali Ben Rashid 1471 – 1511. There is a public water tap (spring) next to this gate, hence the name Bab El-Ain (Gate at Spring).
That evening we had dinner in Bab Kasaba with a front row seat for these entertainers.
The following morning we enter the medina via Bab Suk. The name is associated with the market that was organised outside the gate every Monday.
Nobody knows exactly why buildings in the medina are painted blue. Some say it is a Jewish tradition, where the color symbolises the sky and serves as a reminder of God. Other reasons include aesthetic appeal, the belief that blue helps repel mosquitoes, and the desire to keep homes cool in the heat. The tradition is most likely kept alive simply to attract tourists. It certainly is special and attractive.
Yesterday evening we had a drink with a local in restaurant Paloma near the Grand Mosque and he informed us that in the old days a fully functioning neighbourhood should have:
- A Mosque.
- A Quran school.
- Communal water supply
- A Souk
- A communal bath
- A communal oven
There is an ongoing trend in Morocco as well as in Tunisia, to increase and to protect women’s rights. For instance, when a lady is deprived from financial support after a divorce, she can start working with a women’s cooperation to earn an income. There were more ladies working on these carpets but the one working on the orange carpet didn’t want to be photographed.
This concludes our visit to this enchanting town. It was back to the boat where another boat project was waiting.
The caulking around the shower basin had failed, or more precisely, was not correctly applied in the factory, resulting in water creeping under the floor board causing rot. Long story short, we replaced the floor board, correctly applied the caulking and now everything looks and is fine.
It is all part of balancing the pleasure of exploring our beautiful world with boat chores to keep our floating home pristine and safe.
We prepare ourselves and the boat for the 125 Nm overnight sail to Rabat, Morocco’s capital, but that is subject for the next blog.
Thank you for reading our stories. Liza and Frits.