Qasba de Chefchaouen

Founded in 1471 by Moulay Ali Ben Rachid, a military leader from the region and veteran of the fighting against the Portuguese in Andalusia, the Kasbah was the original nucleus of Chefchaouen, built to protect the valley from Portuguese incursions then threatening northern Morocco. Its rammed-earth walls, reinforced by ten towers, enclose an inner courtyard now turned into an Andalusian garden. The fortress, overlooking Outa el-Hammam square at the heart of the Blue Medina, now houses a museum devoted to regional archaeology and ethnography, offering a glimpse into the history of this town tucked into the Rif Mountains.