History of Chefchaouen, Morocco

With both Spanish and Jewish heritage the history of Chefchaouen is also the history of Morocco and while today it is a small provincial town we remember how the winds of European history have blown across the continent and changed the way we live here in North Africa. 

According to legend the city was founded by in the last 15th Century by Mulay Rachid Ben Ali because of his love for a girl . It grew as a trading city being on major trade routes through the mountains and in the 15th and 16th century was busy with a cosmopolitan population including many Spanish and Jewish families.

Around 1600 Moulay Ismail built many buildings in Chefchaouen and today Water Tank can still be seen which was originally to water his herd of horses, but today is a just a wonderful historic pool.

In 1920 the city became part of Spanish Morocco and remained so until independence in 1956.