Get mesmerized by the charms of this Middle Atlas district of Morocco. Meknes is one of the country’s most ancient cities which is now filled with magnificent urban communities. It sees fewer sightseers than the neighboring city of Fes, but that makes it all the more enchanting as you’re spellbound by the peaceful and calm ambiance of the serene atmosphere within the area.
Meknes flaunts an entrancing number of tourist destinations jam-packed with clamoring souks, madrassas, and mosques along with almost a thousand-year-old Roman vestiges and a variety of other noteworthy vacation spots.
It has perhaps the best assortment of notable locales in Morocco, all at a simple strolling distance from one another and inside a laidback old town mostly liberated from bothering crowds of people and shopkeepers.
Track down additional touring thoughts with our rundown of the top attractions and what should be done in Meknes.
The Famous Ruins of Volubilis
The old Roman remnants of Volubilis, around 33 kilometers from Meknes, are the primary vacation destination for Meknes. The city was in its prime in the third century when it was established and also filled in as the capital for the Roman region. The majority of the remains date from this time of flourishing. After seeing a long period of peace and prosperity, it was abandoned in the eleventh century. It is what making it one of the best things to do in Meknes.
What kind of activities can I find here?
The exceptionally compelling pieces of architecture depicting the life of our Roman ancestors are some of the highlights here. Volubilis has some of the most incredible preserved Roman remains in Morocco. These disintegrating remains can be found with regards to an hour from Meknes and deal with an amazing showcase of segments, mosaics, and deserted structures.
Why should I visit it?
Sitting on a slope, with the field carried out underneath, the enduring sections and sanctuary parts of Volubilis are some noteworthy indications of the brilliance of this well-known Roman leftover. A large number of the ravishing and complicated floor mosaics in Volubilis’ great Roman manors are still available on the site, providing you with a sample of the luxurious Roman lifestyle.
Bab Mansour Gate
Bab Mansour is the fundamental entryway between Meknes’ medina and the regions of the Imperial City. This fantastic door was initially the foremost formal access to the Moulay Ismail. The door is huge and grand, adorned and decorated with Quranic boards and emerald green and pure white mosaic tiles.
What kind of activities can I find here?
Nowadays, this door isn’t really open. Rather you enter and exit between the medina and Imperial City through an adjoining, a lot more modest side entryway. This permits you to completely appreciate Bab Mansour’s breathtaking architecture unnoticed by traffic. The stunning mosaic patterns are still visible for your viewing pleasure over the doors along with the marble segments nearby the Roman remains of Volubilis.
Why should I visit it?
Bab Mansour is a gigantic and finely itemized structure that numerous building specialists declare to be one of North Africa’s best instances of enduring passages. The many-sided structural detail on this magnificent door incorporates rich utilization of beautiful zellige tiling and refined stone cutting work.
Dar Jamai Museum
Initially built as the home for a noble Moroccan family in 1882, Dar Jamai Museum was converted into a museum in the year 1920. The historical center still holds the rich conventional style of painted wood and etched mortar which were used to create dazzling architecture. The structure is interspersed with windows of richly painted casings and stunning plasterwork.
What kind of activities can I find here?
The Dar Jamai Museum is a fascinating spot to meander, as you investigate the assortment of customary earthenware production, gems, materials, lavish floor coverings, and a variety of other articles. Take a relaxing walk in the Andalusian nursery, and the patio fixed with cypress and natural trees.
Why should I visit it?
There are displays available in various rooms along with predominantly bits of craftsmanship from hundreds of years back. There is a lot of pottery and adornments as well as a magnificent prayer stage. The rooms of this museum all point towards a wonderful nursery where you can always have a calming walk and enjoy the greenery.
Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail
This luxuriously beautified sepulcher was created to house the burial place of Sultan Moulay Ismail, who had Meknes turn into his majestic capital in the seventeenth century. Moulay Ismail is one of Morocco’s most popular rulers. He was the one who skillfully utilized his strategic prowess to take back a critical military position from the Spanish and the British, which laid seeds of prosperity and peace for the future.
What kind of activities can I find here?
The genuine mosque isn’t available to non-Muslims, however, you can enter the external pieces of the architecture and enter the burial chamber lobby itself, which is the significant fascination of the structure. The burial chamber’s inside is a feature of the radiant richness of Moroccan strict embellishment with many-sided tilework, plaster enrichment, and cut stonework.
Why should I visit it?
In all actuality, the tomb doesn’t look like much from an external perspective; indeed, numerous guests don’t see it. Be that as it may, venture inside, and you’ll be enchanted by the few interconnected patios with their intricate mosaics, marble segments, cut plasterwork, and beautiful wellspring. When you remove your shoes, you can stroll around this luxuriously beautified piece of the internal sepulcher and investigate the room where Moulay Ismail was let go.
Medina of Meknes
The medina of Meknes is a dynamic, clamoring place brimming with nearby shopping markets and twisty paths. To enter this enchanting region, you will have to go through the Place el-Hedim which is a relatively more modest and less turbulent area. The Grand Mosque with its unmistakable green-tiled rooftop, sits solidly in the medina’s center, making it easier to track your location.
What kind of activities can I find here?
You can’t miss the constricted and surprisingly traffic-less streets of the old Medina. It’s loaded up with magnificent doors, mosques, an overflow of souks, and some of the most famous tourist attractions within the area, including the Bab Mansour door, the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, and the Bou Inania Madrasa.
Why should I visit it?
There is great quality shopping to be availed here and it will be somewhat less expensive than the costs you’ll find in Fes. There is a centralization of shops close to the El Hedim Square which welcomes a huge crowd of international tourists. However, the deeper you go in the souks, the lesser the prices will be, which makes it a great place to buy souvenirs.
Bou Inania Madrasa
Not to be confused with the Madrasa having the same name in Fes, this excellent madrasa is concealed within the narrow streets of the Meknes Medina. This madrasa was an Islamic learning place and was located nearby the Great Mosque for easy access. While it may not be as famous as the madrasa in Fes, it is still perhaps the best illustration of Merinid design in Morocco.
What kind of activities can I find here?
Travelers can investigate and survey the rooms which once belonged to the students, the madrasa’s refreshing hammam, and get relaxed while appreciating the beautiful eagle-eye views of the Grand Mosque’s magnificent minarets. The madrasa is an excellently refined piece of craftsmanship that needs to be seen before it can be admired.
Why should I visit it?
The madrasa was built during the fourteenth century and is viewed as perhaps the best landmark that the Merinids left in the city. It is a credible wonder of Islamic design. Its segments and entryways are impeccably enlivened and very much protected. The best thing about this madrasa is its serene and tranquil atmosphere.
El-Hedim Square
While this square may not be as energetic and turbulent as the one in Marrakech, it is certainly one which cannot be missed out upon. The El-Hedim Square is encircled by noteworthy structures and tiny back streets that lead into clamoring markets. This famous square forms the core of the Meknes Medina.
What kind of activities can I find here?
El-Hedim Square gets particularly lively in the evening with a huge crowd of people. It is a great spot to pause and have an espresso at one of the bistros along the edges. There are likewise great Moroccan food choices. The people-watching is fun from here and it has a calming vibe with an opportunity to kick back and relax after a long day of traveling around the city.
Why should I visit it?
Here you’ll be able to observe music, a big line of merchants, and stalls selling fresh juices along with a variety of different festivities, games, and contests, for example, attempting to snare a container on a casting pole. Most of the square is jam-packed with people in the evening, so if you’re looking for a little bit of a calm environment, make sure to go in the morning.
Kara Prison
Built during the beginning of the eighteenth century, this is a huge underground jail in Meknes. Visit the Kara Prison where Moulay Ismail kept detainees for public executions or as prisoners. At that time, it was said to have held more than 50,000 individuals at a single time, many of whom were slaves and political victims.
What kind of activities can I find here?
The mazelike structure which can be confusing for many tourists adds to the overall charm of this mysteriously eerie architecture. The prison is now open as a tourist attraction where many people gather to have a look at its spooky, unnerving, and peculiar structural design.
Why should I visit it?
While it is very dim and there isn’t a lot to see except the tremendous space itself, the exciting opportunity to visit this infamous jail cannot be missed out. Getting to know the history of the prison and the horrible conditions that convicts had to live in make the visit worthwhile.
Heri Es-Souani
Also known as the Royal Stables, the Heri Es-Souani granaries were once used for stockpiling storage facilities and horse stables. Initially, more than 11,000 horses were corralled here, and the structure is remembered to have been a lot bigger than the space you can see today, but most of it was destroyed during the Lisbon earthquake.
What kind of activities can I find here?
The architecture has just been somewhat reestablished and is still roofless, however, its angled entryways and vaults from the royal times remain flawless. As it isn’t visited by many visitors, the atmosphere here is very peaceful and serene. The building was used to store an enormous amount of grain for the people. While the interior isn’t as dreadful as something like the Kara Prison, it certainly is a bit drab and dreary.
Why should I visit it?
All things considered, the Royal Granary is a surprising design accomplishment, well deserving of its spot on the World Heritage List. The initial 3 corridors have been restored to their unique magnificence. Additional measures are being taken to recreate the grandeur of the original architecture which will definitely be a sight to behold.
Moulay Idriss
The heavenly city of Moulay Idriss is named after the nation’s one of the most loved person and the Prophet Muhammed’s (PBUH) incredibly extraordinary great-great-grandson, who established the main Moroccan state. The city is based upon the rough spikes of the Tazga and Khyber slopes, around 27 kilometers north from Meknes, with the structures plummeting down the inclines drastically.
What kind of activities can I find here?
Albeit non-Muslims can’t enter the holy places of the town, you can meander around the medina, with its constricted passageways generally washed in pastel tints, to the slope ways above and check out the astounding views of the whole settlement from the rooftops.
Why should I visit it?
For the unwavering Muslims, this is a significant journey that is made by almost all members of the Muslim community, with a yearly celebration in August that draws in thousands who set up their shelters around the town.
Conclusion:
Meknes City is one of the most loved urban communities. It has a beautiful climate which makes for a great vacation spot. Meknes is the best town for history aficionados since it has a lot of historical centers with unique architectures and traditional buildings. It has a very good environment with an excellent medina that serves as an incredible source of fascination for sightseers from everywhere around the globe. We trust that all the information here will propel you to visit the city soon and appreciate the beauty of this majestic city in person.
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