Chefchaouen

Shefshauán (Arabic: شفشاون, romanized: Shafshāwan, IPA: [ʃafˈʃaːwan]) is a city in northwest Morocco. It is the chief town of the province of the same name and is noted for its buildings in shades of blue, for which it is nicknamed the "Blue City". It is situated in a mountainous region in northern Morocco, between Tetuán and Uazán.

It was founded in 1471 by the Mulay Ali ibn Rashid, a distant descendant of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. The original settlement consisted of just a small fortress, now referred to as Shefshauán’s Kasbah. The fortress was erected to help defend the area from potential attacks by Portuguese invaders; at the time, Portugal was launching attacks against northern cities and towns in Morocco.

City Map

More in Morocco

Explore neighboring districts and regions for more experiences.