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Travelogues => Travel Diaries => Topic started by: Anirban Halder on November 30, 2025, 02:17:41

Title: Chefchaouen, Morocco
Post by: Anirban Halder on November 30, 2025, 02:17:41
We visited Chefchaouen a city in northwest Morocco couple years back. December in Chefchaouen was like someone turned the saturation up but the thermostat down.
Sun-basked days, chilly evenings, great people, great food and bright blue houses.

1. Situated in a mountainous region in northern Morocco, Chefchaouen was founded in 1471 by Moulay Ali Ben Rachid, who was a distant descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.
At first, it was just a small fortress, now known as the Kasbah in the heart of the city. It was built to protect the area from Portuguese attacks at that time.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54954302088_6e288af404_b.jpg)


2. The city consists of a Medina, the historical walled town, and a new town that has grown outside the former city walls. Narrow alleys, shops - very colourful.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54954117936_7956c288c2_b.jpg)


3. Instagram has made Chefchouen overly popular, to the extend that some alleys are overly-filled with cheap decorations for tourists to take pictures.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54953227687_c8a7b8c9eb_b.jpg)


4. The kids were not bored. No mobile phones!

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54954360834_55507d8639_c.jpg)


5. Djellaba - long full sleeves robe. Very common in winter. And there were cats everywhere.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54953228457_aa822dd1dd_b.jpg)


6. Evening was no less beautiful

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54954120016_b82c952ccd_k.jpg?s=eyJpIjo1NDk1NDEyMDAxNiwiZSI6MTc2NDQ2NzQzMSwicyI6ImQwMGJiNGQ3M2NjZjYxNzA1NzYxZjhhYjQ3NGQwMjVhZDQyMmY2ZGIiLCJ2IjoxfQ)


7. Community bread oven - on the left. A traditional communal ovens where families bring their own dough to be baked by the baker. Long-standing Moroccan tradition.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54954359764_d7bce96998_b.jpg)


8. Handmade Birkenstock?!

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54954121021_1bae41b53e_b.jpg)


9. Sun-kissed alleys...

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54953228762_e2b9822d7e_c.jpg)


10.  Tajine at Sofia's restaurant. Chefchaouen story would be incomplete without "Tajine", a slow-cooked stew made in a heavy clay pot,
usually with meat (chicken, lamb, or beef), vegetables, spices, and sometimes olives, preserved lemon, dried fruits, or nuts. On those cold night, this was heavenly.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54954374739_c8a89c42bb_b.jpg)

11.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54954315458_ac9d747b44_b.jpg)
Title: Re: Chefchaouen, Morocco
Post by: Thomas Stellwag on November 30, 2025, 11:48:42
no 5 is my absolute favorite, great series
have been there (but not Chechauen) 2 years ago and certainkly will come back
Title: Re: Chefchaouen, Morocco
Post by: ColinM on November 30, 2025, 12:40:13
What a wonderful travelogue Anirban
#5 & 6 stand out for me

I'm so glad you dug out these images from 2 years ago.
I've not been to the North of the country and I was last in Morocco over 40 years ago

At that time, I only had a 35mm Pentax film camera, as mentioned on the B&W thread below
https://nikongear.net/revival/index.php?topic=11386.msg213565#msg213565
Title: Re: Chefchaouen, Morocco
Post by: Anirban Halder on November 30, 2025, 15:34:00
no 5 is my absolute favorite, great series
have been there (but not Chechauen) 2 years ago and certainkly will come back

Thank you Thomas. Ditto, this is one of the countries for sure I will visit again. I will post my photos of Fez and Marrakesh one of these days as well.

What a wonderful travelogue Anirban
#5 & 6 stand out for me

I'm so glad you dug out these images from 2 years ago.
I've not been to the North of the country and I was last in Morocco over 40 years ago

At that time, I only had a 35mm Pentax film camera, as mentioned on the B&W thread below
https://nikongear.net/revival/index.php?topic=11386.msg213565#msg213565

Thank you Collin. I saw your photo and that motivated me to find these. I am gonna post photos of Fez shortly. Your photo is beautiful - it looked like from one of the places I visited in Fez. Would love to see more of photos of yours.

12.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54953227582_c67ff87602_b.jpg)
Title: Re: Chefchaouen, Morocco
Post by: armando_m on November 30, 2025, 16:00:08
I enjoyed the images with your comments,  wonderful!
Title: Re: Chefchaouen, Morocco
Post by: Anirban Halder on November 30, 2025, 16:01:41
At that time, I only had a 35mm Pentax film camera, as mentioned on the B&W thread below
https://nikongear.net/revival/index.php?topic=11386.msg213565#msg213565

Colin, my memory served me right. I found the same spot in my Fez photos. Same place 40 years apart.
Al Attarine Madrasa, Fez.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54955310868_fc2c47ede1_b.jpg)
Title: Re: Chefchaouen, Morocco
Post by: Anirban Halder on November 30, 2025, 16:06:39
I enjoyed the images with your comments,  wonderful!

Thank you Armando.

13. Instagram heaven!

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54954360844_6a3a994f33_b.jpg)
Title: Re: Chefchaouen, Morocco
Post by: ColinM on November 30, 2025, 18:07:45
Colin, my memory served me right. I found the same spot in my Fez photos. Same place 40 years apart.
Al Attarine Madrasa, Fez.

Nice to see this Anirban
Slightly different viewpoint & with the benefit of modern optics & pixels :)
Title: Re: Chefchaouen, Morocco
Post by: Ann on November 30, 2025, 21:42:24
What a truly beautiful series this is!
All of the photographs are outstanding but the fifth one, with the contrast of the blue with the golden robe, tops them all.
Title: Re: Chefchaouen, Morocco
Post by: Akira on December 01, 2025, 23:11:08
My (tough) choice would be 3 and 5.  Both are beautiful compositions using complementary color really nicely!