The Arab Weekly
Located in the north-western Rif mountains, Chefchaouen is famous for its stunning blue-washed buildings and cobbled streets that has given it the nickname “the Blue Pearl.”
The Moroccan city of Chefchaouen was the feature of a photography exhibition hosted by Casa Arabe Foundation in Cordoba as part of its 17th Biennial of Photography.
Located in the north-western Rif mountains, Chefchaouen is famous for its stunning blue-washed buildings and cobbled streets that has given it the nickname “the Blue Pearl.”
Artist Manuel Lama said he chose the picturesque Moroccan city to centre his photo exhibition around because of its “unique” character.
“My ambition through this exhibition is to tell a story. That of a country of light and colors,” Lama told the Moroccan News Agency (MAP). “Of course, I am an urban photographer, but I pay special attention to faces and human features. In Morocco, I was overwhelmed because the people who seduced me with their humanism and their open-mindedness.”
Lama’s exhibition includes dozens of select photographs set against the scene of water flowing in stone fountains, providing a beautiful artistic tribute to the the Moroccan city.
“As I had previously produced an exhibition on Morocco, I wanted to bring a different perspective on this country to the biennial,” Lama said.
Chefchaouen’s combination of natural beauty and distinct architecture make it a draw for visitors from around the world, who fill hundreds of hotels during peak tourism season. The town is also of great cultural and historic significance, located near a mausoleum dedicated to a patron saint of Morocco’s northern Jebalah region, Moulay Abdessalam Ben Mshish al-Alami.
