Chefchaouen is located in a territory traditionally inhabited by
Jebala, subsequently joined by Muslim and Jewish refugees from al-Andalus and Spain. The city has maintained strong relations with the inhabitants of the Jbala Region such as Akhmas,
Ghomara, Ghazaoua, and
Sanhaja tribes, particularly in terms of trade. The federations of these tribes were sometimes a source of strength, and sometimes a weakness due to their frequent struggles to take possession of assets such as water sources, grazing areas, and fertile land. The traditional houses of Chefchaouen were made of stone, brick, tile, wood, soil, and lime. Each house had an open yard in the center surrounded by corridors and bedrooms. The yards are often decorated with fruit trees such as oranges, lemons, berries, and grapes, as well as some perfumed shrubs including night-blooming jessamine (
Cestrum nocturnum) and jasmine (
Jasminum officinale). From a physiognomy perspective, the city is influenced by Andalusian architecture, such as the curved brick archways that strengthen the houses and decorate the narrow blue alleyways, the traditional water network, and the landscaping and care of plants inside houses and mosques. From a cultural perspective, many Chefchaouen families have conserved the art of
Andalusian music, which has become the main ritual of Chefchaouen religious festivals and social ceremonies. The last Jewish family emigrated to Israel in 1968. In addition to the cemetery, there are remains of the
Mellah. The rural landscape was characterized by a distribution of space according to intra- and intertribal relations. At the level of each
dshar (low-density rural settlements), the houses are built around a mosque or a marabou and occupy the center of the concentric spatial structure of traditional agro-sylvo-pastoral systems. This spatial distribution of
dshars is tightly associated with arable land and availability of water resources, with shifting cultivation limited to a diffuse strip of
matorral shrubland and pasture that mark the transition to forests. However, this traditional agro-salvo-pastoral system has been deeply affected by multiple processes of modern socio-cultural and economic transformation.
Traditions Chefchaouen's residents commit to religious and social rituals. The devout perform prayer together in the mosque or the
zawiya (a Sufi shrine or religious complex). They also like to visit their families and friends on religious and social occasions. Some of the major religious and social occasions include: • Sha’banah takes place on the 15th of
Shaa’ban (i.e. the 8th month of
Hijri calendar). It is commonly known as the Day of Nusskhah, in which the tomb of Moulay Abd Salam Ben Mshish is visited, of particular observance by the students of
msids (Quranic schools). • The night of Al-Qad is observed on the 26th of
Ramadan, when the people encourage 7–10-year-old girls to fast. Families usually celebrate at home, but often parade following the afternoon prayer with the girls wearing wedding clothes. •
Ashura is celebrated on the 10th of Muharram (observed by Jewish residents as Yom Kippur). Preparations begin after
Eid Al-Adha when part of the Eid meat is dried as
qaddid, and on Ashura is eaten with
couscous by families, along with dried fruit (almonds, walnuts, raisins, and pistachios), dates and various traditional sweets. Children receive great attention and are often gifted traditional and modern items, including toys. •
Mawlid Nabawi (Muhammad's birthday) is celebrated on the 12th of Rabii’ Al-Awwal. It is designated as Eid and involves the reading of the Quran and Muhammad's biography in mosques or at people’s homes. This night is also celebrated in the mausoleum of Ali Ben Rashid and the 13
zawiyas throughout the city. Couscous is served to the poor and prisoners. During this celebration, mass circumcision of children is carried out following the afternoon prayer, and gifts are distributed to their families. • Hakouzah Day is celebrated on 1 January of the agricultural solar calendar. It is observed by preparing and eating various traditional foods, in appreciation of the past harvest's bounty and the hope that the New Year will be better. Despite the diversity of these ceremonies, observances of similar characters are present in almost all of Morocco. In her annotated study on
Storytelling in Chefchaouen Northern Morocco literary scholar Aicha Rahmouni published orally transmitted tales in Chefchaouen's form of colloquial
Moroccan Arabic told by two
storytellers, accompanied with
transliterations and translations. == Economy ==