Chefchaouen: Morocco's 'Blue Pearl'

Nestled in the Rif Mountains of northwest Morocco, Chefchaouen – where Jews, Amazigh and Arabs settled to impart a unique blend of cultural identity – seems lost in a maze of myriad shades of blue. By Sugato Mukherjee

From a deep, intense indigo to a fading, almost fragile, aquamarine, the azure shades change throughout the day
Labyrinthine alleyways snake up and down through the walled casbah, forming a mystifying maze
A kaleidoscopic melange, from powder blue to periwinkle, and pretty much everything in between, crafts the cobalt cityscape
Chefchaouen was founded in 1471 by Moulay Ali Ben Moussa Ben Rached El Alami, a distant descendant of the Prophet Muhammad
A bakery in the medina with traditional homemade Moroccan bread
Chefchaouen is known for traditional handmade Moroccan souvenirs – from carpets to crockery, artisan clothing and handwoven bags
Pigments and colourful spices at a wayside shop
It is widely believed that the medina was painted blue by the early Jewish settlers. In the Jewish belief system blue has a deep symbolic significance representing the sky and spirituality
The entire old town of Chaouen, as it is lovingly called, is a car-free zone and easy to navigate
The warren of blue-washed corridors is home to an adorable fleet of feline residents – from snowy furballs to spunky calicos, and pretty much everything in between
There is a relaxed, easy-going vibe inside the sapphire-tinged medina
The original fortified settlement of Chefchaouen was built to protect its residents from Portuguese invaders