Blue Labyrinth (Morocco, Chechaouen)

Chefchaouen, nicknamed the Blue City , isn't just a photogenic backdrop: it's a city steeped in complex historical layers. Founded in 1471 by Moulay Ali Ben Rachid, it began as a fortress to repel the Portuguese invasion of northern Morocco. Over the centuries, it welcomed Muslim and Jewish Andalusian refugees expelled from Spain—which explains the Moorish and Spanish-Jewish influence in its architecture.

The practice of painting walls blue is not of Berber origin, but is believed to have arrived later with these communities. Several hypotheses have been put forward: Jewish religious symbolism (blue representing the sky and God), a cooling effect against the heat, or even, according to popular belief, a method of repelling mosquitoes —blue being supposedly unpleasant to them because they mistake this shade for water.

Today, this blue lime pigment is reapplied several times a year by the inhabitants themselves, perpetuating both a collective practice and a tourist attraction that has become vital for the local economy.