El Jebha

El Jebha is a little port town in the northern part of Morocco. This Mediterranean coastal place is situated in the Rif Mountains, and across the route that takes traffic from the Northwestern part to the Northeastern part of Morocco. El Jebha, is the capital of the district (cercle) Mtiwa, which is part of Chefchaouen Province in the region of Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima.NameThe name of the town is based on its location at the foot of a set of mountains. El Jebha is the Arabic equivalent of ‘forehead’; the mountains that surround El Jebha stand out as if the town is the forehead of a chain of mountains. Hence, the name El Jebha. During the Spanish occupation of Northern Morocco between 1911 and 1956, the town was called Puerto Capaz, the latter word the Spanish translation of El Jebha.EconomyThe two main sources of income are fishery and trade. As one of the most important coastal towns in the near surroundings El Jebha has an own harbour where many fisher boats, large and small, are anchored. Furthermore, the harbour is welcome and useful for many Europeans who are passing through the area in a tour around the Mediterranean sea. Next to the fishery there is also a booming culture of commerce and trade. The administrative function and the harbour of El Jebha are the two main reasons for most people to consider a visit, which in turn makes residents decide to engage in trade and commerce. Also, the location of El Jebha across the coastal route adds to its popularity as a centre of the district Mtiwa.The most important day in the week is without a doubt Tuesday, which is also the known as the ‘Tlatha’. On this day people from the whole district travel to El Jebha to do their weekly shopping. All the stores are overcrowded, the market brings many new products, the hairdressers are dealing with long waiting lines, and the streets are filled with vans and trucks.