Chefchaouen, city of heavenly colours: the Blue pearl of Morocco

Tanya De Pascalis (Tania De Pascalis) and Thiago Marques (Tiago Marques), the Duo travel photographers, known as "Tiago and Tania" (Tiago & Tania) went to the town of Chefchaouen, lying between the Reef mountains. He Chefchaouen, aka Sipaun, also known as the "Blue pearl".

Seeing Chefchaouen once, it is impossible to forget – a large part of the historic center are painted in different shades of blue and blue colors from gentle blue to a deep Indigo.

The story says that at the end of the XV century in this city have begun to flee from Spain, Sephardic Jews who were persecuted for refusing to accept Catholicism. And that Sephardic tradition has given such an unusual image of the city — a special covering of prayer, tallit, was made in white and blue color scheme.

Over time, the tradition has moved beyond the Jewish community, and the blue began to paint everything — walls, fences, Windows, doors, stair treads, stones on the pavement.

Such a tradition there is another, more practical explanation: in this part of Morocco all year round the sun shines brightly, reflecting off the white buildings blinding it's citizens, so the wall needs to be painted. The blue hue is easy to get from the plant woad, which grows in abundance in North Africa, it was used by the ancient Egyptians; when added to plaster, it gives a heavenly tone.

In Chefchaouene exactly three activities: walking in the sky-blue streets, to feast on goat cheese and photograph from dawn to dusk. For happiness — enough.