Moulay Ismaïl's capital
With its medina and markets, Meknes combines the attractions of an historic town with those of a picturesque city basking in the glory of its majestic monuments.
Beauty and power
Its medina and the remains of the royal palace earned Meknes a place on Unesco's world heritage list. A tour round its ramparts reveals its full beauty. Some borjs (small forts) also provide a panoramic view. The city is still prosperous, benefiting from the harvests of the fertile Saïs plains (grain, olives and grapes). In the 17th century, the Alaouite sultan Moulay Ismaël decided to make this one of the most beautiful and powerful Imperial cities in Morocco. The mausoleum where he lies is a monument worth visiting.
Gates and market
The town's heart beats close to the magnificent and peerlessly beautiful Bab Mansour gate. From dusk, the Place El-Hedime and its great market welcome a host of merchants, jugglers and fire-swallowers. An unforgettable popular and medieval atmosphere.
In the medina
The very picturesque souks offer all local crafts, from fabrics to the numerous rugs. Close to there, near the Great Mosque, the Bou Inania medersa, an Hispano-Moorish masterpiece which no longer receives students, is open for you to visit. The Nejjarine mosque is one of numerous mosques in the "city of a hundred minarets". The El Mansour palace, a luxurious 19th century bourgeois mansion transformed into a bazaar, is also worth a visit.
Meditation
On the edge of the Agdal pond, a gigantic expanse of water which irrigated the harem and gardens, gaze on Dar El-Ma, the palace of water. This housed Imperial cisterns and served as a storage area for supplies in case of siege. At the time, the 7m-thick adobe walls and a clever system of canals ensured constant coolness.
To remember
Meknes offers several complementary faces. Sometimes haughty with its imposing monuments, sometimes friendly and familiar with its markets and streets. A truly enchanting city.
