Why is Chefchaouen blue?

 

Chefchaouen, a small city in the northwest of Morocco, is known for its striking blue-painted buildings. The blue is said to keep mosquitoes away and to represent the sky and heaven. It's also said that Jews introduced the blue when they settled in Chefchaouen in the 15th century.

The blue of Chefchaouen's buildings is so distinctive that it's become one of the city's main attractions. Visitors come from all over to see the blue buildings and to take photos of them. Some people even come to Chefchaouen to buy blue paint for their own homes. The blue of Chefchaouen's buildings is created using a special type of paint called Limewash. This paint is made from limestone, water, and oil. It's applied to the buildings in several thin layers and then left to dry in the sun. The blue of Chefchaouen's buildings has been known to fade over time. This is especially true of the darker shades of blue. The fading is caused by the sun and the wind, and it's something that the city's residents have come to accept. There are some who believe that the blue of Chefchaouen's buildings is slowly disappearing. They point to the fading of the darker shades of blue as evidence of this. They worry that, one day, the whole city will be just another Moroccan town with no trace of the blue that made it so special. Others believe that the blue of Chefchaouen's buildings is here to stay. They point to the city's popularity with tourists as evidence of this. They believe that, as long as people keep coming to see the blue buildings, the city will continue to be known for them.

It's not just the buildings in Chefchaouen that are blue. The city's doors, window frames, and even the stairs leading up to the roofs are also painted blue. The only thing that's not blue in Chefchaouen is the sky – because, as they say in Chefchaouen, "God is too great to be contained in one color." Whatever the future holds for the blue of Chefchaouen's buildings, there's no denying that it's one of the city's most distinctive features. It's a color that's associated with the city in the minds of many people, and it's something that makes Chefchaouen unique.