Goodbye to Morocco: A Final Sunset in the Blue City
By TA Kaedyn Murphy
Today marked our last full day in Morocco. To conclude our incredible two-week journey, we drove three hours through the yellow and green foothills to arrive at our final overnight destination: the beautiful blue city of Chefchaouen. This city, well known for its sky blue colored buildings and picturesque views, was founded in 1471 by Sherif Moulay Ali Ben Rachid. The city’s name translates to “look at the horns,” an appropriate name as this city nestles between two hills in the Rif Mountains. Upon its founding, the Sherif built a Kasbah (fortress) to defend against Portuguese invaders who were attacking northern Morocco at the time. The city also served as a refuge for many Andalusian Jews and Muslims who were expelled or fled from Spain and Portugal in the late 15th century after the fall of Granada. This period created a rich environment of unique architecture and culture, a trend that we have seen frequently within our studies of medieval Spain and Morocco.
After a quick break for lunch, our tour guide Hassan led us around the city and taught us all about the history and prominence of the city. He explained the answer to the question we have all been wondering: why is it blue? The color was originally introduced by Jews who came from Al-Andalus who began painting their houses and communal spaces blue to represent their connection with God, the sky, and Heaven and to create a sense of community. It was then discovered that this color seemed to repel mosquitoes, so many of their neighbors began to adopt the blue painted walls for themselves. In the late 20th century, it was then mandated to paint the walls blue in order to attract tourists to grow the local economy.
As we wandered up the winding, cobblestone pathways, Hassan pointed out the Morisco-influenced architecture: stunning archways, red clay rooftops, and private riads with beautiful gardens containing fruit trees and a central fountain. We also passed by the 18th-century communal bakery that is still operating, the Grand Mosque, and the central water source for the town. As we took in the beautiful and breathtaking views, he also explained the significance that Chefchaouen had in uniting competing Amazigh tribes in the area. As Spain began their colonial pursuits of Morocco in 1912, the Rif mountain tribes held out in the area by defending the city of Chefchaouen against colonial invaders. It was not until over ten years later, after Spain got reinforcements from France, that they were able to take the city, marking the temporary end to Moroccan sovereignty.
Kasbah and Chefchaouen streets
After the brilliant and insightful tour by Hassan, we made our way to the hotel to quickly settle in before rejoining for class. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to give a lecture on the history of Tangier and its international governance in the 20th century, a topic I spent a semester researching for my capstone project under Professor Rabinovitch. Although I was very nervous and a little rusty on my public speaking skills, the students’ enthusiasm for learning and their engaging questions made the experience incredibly gratifying. Tomorrow, as our last stop before taking the ferry to Spain, we will have a brief walking tour throughout the historical town, so to prepare I gave a brief overview of how Tangier became an International Zone, the effectiveness of the governance, and the subsequent impact on native Jewish and Muslim Moroccans.
The city of Tangier has served as an incredibly important city for thousands of years. Sitting on the northwest corner of the African continent and on one side of the Strait of Gibraltar, this city offers a gateway to the Mediterranean Sea that connects Africa, Europe, and Asia. It served as a crucial trading post since the earliest human settlements, and after it was first taken by Muslim forces in 707, it quickly became a source of European diplomatic rivalry. After England abandoned the city in 1684 and it was once again under Moroccan rule, the city became a host of foreign consulates and embassies, creating an international population of Moroccans, Europeans, and Americans. This multinational presence created an increase in European involvement in Tangier’s internal affairs, and after neither Spain nor France could agree on who to colonize this city, it eventually led to the 1923 Statute that declared Tangier an International Zone. This system of governance, which included a Legislative Assembly with twenty-six representatives from eight different nations, an overseeing Committee of Control, and an incredibly complicated Mixed Court system, created a convoluted government that resulted in the eradication of legal autonomy and systemic discrimination against Jewish and Muslim Moroccans living in the city. This unique environment also resulted in a culture that attracted those considered “outcasts,” many of which were people from the United States who wanted to escape the conformity of post-WWII society. Tangier was advertised as a place of liberation and exoticism that emphasized sexual and moral freedom, and many benefited from the loose regulations around visas, customs, and taxes. This reputation continued well past the independence of Morocco in 1956 (which was also the end to the international regime), and traces of this period can still be identified to this day in the city.
After the lecture, a few students accompanied Hassan, Professor Rabinovitch, and myself to a yearly tradition of hiking to the Spanish Mosque to watch the sunset over the blue city. This hike was the highlight of my trip last year and did not fail to live up to the expectation. As the sun faded behind the green hills and the blue buildings began to glow with the evening light, we said our goodbyes to Morocco. After three visits, first as a student then twice as a TA, Morocco is a place that I hold very dear to my heart. My appreciation for this country’s history, culture, and people grows with each minute I spend here, and I feel so lucky to have experienced this again with this incredible group of students. Although I will be saying goodbye to this program as law school awaits in August, I will never forget the experiences this country has provided me, the friends I’ve made along the way, and the meaningful and educational experiences that Professor Rabinovitch continues to provide each and every day. I cannot wait to continue our adventure in Spain, where we will get to learn the memory and history of Jews, Christians, and Muslims in a new lens.
Sunset hike to Spanish Mosque
