Chefchaouen (Province)

Chefchaouen province in the Tangier-Tétouan region

Chefchaouen in the middle of the Rif Mountains

Place in the medina of Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen's kasbah garden

The to Moroccan region Tangier Tétouan-Al Hoceïma associated province Chefchaouen ( Central Usage Tamazight ⵜⴰⵙⴳⴰ ⵏ ⴰⵞⵞⴰⵡⵏ Tasga Accawn n ) has an area of about 3440 and a population of about 450,000. The provincial capital is Chefchaouen .

geography

location

The province of Chefchaouen is located in the Rif Mountains and on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco. In the north-west it is bordered by the province of Tétouan , in the west by the province of Larache , in the south-west by the province of Ouezzane , in the south by the province of Taounate and in the east by the province of Al Hoceïma . The approximately 120 km long Mediterranean coast extends to the northeast.

landscape

Towards the Mediterranean coast, the Rif Mountains, which are over 2000 m high and rugged, drop off steeply; However, there are a large number of bays with rocks or sandy beaches that are hardly developed for tourists. The highest mountains in the province are the Jbel Tizouka near Chefchaouen and 2050 m high and the Jbel Bouhalla (2170 m) about 20 km east of Chefchaouen .

climate

The Rif Mountains are the rainiest region in Morocco. Accordingly, the landscape is comparatively densely forested and relatively green. Flat areas and some valleys are used for agriculture.

history

The area of ​​the Chefchaouen province belonged - interrupted by the Rif republic proclaimed by Abd el-Krim in 1921 - to both the Spanish and French spheres of influence until Moroccan independence (1956). The Chefchaouen Province was only created in 1975. In 2009, almost 750 km² were separated from the province and added to the newly founded province of Ouezzane. Until 2015, the province was part of the Tangier-Tétouan region .

economy

For centuries the region lived almost exclusively from agriculture; this also includes the cultivation of hemp , which has been smoked under the name hashish since ancient times . In the 1960s, hippies discovered the city of Chefchaouen, which was forbidden to foreigners for a long time, and which is increasingly opening up to mass tourism without having lost its charm. The Mediterranean coast, on the other hand, is still largely in the hands of the locals, but smaller restaurants have already sprung up in some bays.

Attractions

By far the most important attraction of the province is its capital, whose plastered and blue and white painted house facades are reminiscent of a European Mediterranean town. Indeed, the establishment and development of the place is closely related to the expulsion of the Moors from Spain and their resettlement. In addition, in 2010 UNESCO placed four Mediterranean cities under its special protection as masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of mankind , primarily because of their Mediterranean cuisine : Among them are Soria (Spain), Cilento (Italy), Koroni (Greece) and Chefchaouen (Morocco).

Web links

• Chefchaouen Province - Photos + Info