The ancient imperial city of Meknes is in Northern Morocco and is one of its most historic, traditional and colourful cities, steeped in folklore, culture and history. Originally known as “Meknassa al-Zitoun” (“Meknes of the olives”), this former capital city is relaxed, unspoilt and hassle free, and is proud of its friendly atmosphere and its famous herritage.
Meknes was founded in the 10th Century AD by members of the Berber “Meknassa” tribe, but became famous when it was chosen by the Emperor Moulay Ismail to be his Imperial capital in 1672. He made it his life’s mission to build Meknes into a city worthy of his Cherifian dynasty. Moulay Ismail is compared by historians to his contemporary, Louis XIV of France, due to his reputation as a warrior king and his love of grandeur in general. This fashioned the architecture of Meknes and led to parts of it being named the “Versailles of Morocco”.
Meknes city consists of three parts:
- The Medina, or old walled town
- The Nouvelle Ville, or new town built by the French colonialists at the beginning of the 20th Century
- The Imerial Kasbah, or the old Imperial Palace which is next to the Medina, behind the famous gates of Bab Mansour
The New Town (Hamriya) was built on what was at the time the largest olive growing plateau in Morocco, and the area surrounding Meknes keeps the olive growing tradition alive.
The Meknes region of Morocco is the centre of the wine industry in Morocco, with 3500 hectares of vines producing a wide range of wines. Wine tasting visits to the vineyards can be arranged for guests staying at the Riad Lahboul in Meknes.
Sightseeing
- Dar El Makhzen palace, located in El Mechouar Stinia – Moulay Ismaïl’s official palace.
- Bab Mansour gate, named after the architect, El-Mansour who was a Christian renegade who converted to Islam. It has magnificent Zelige mosaics, and the marble columns were taken from the Roman ruins of Volubilis. Legend has it that when the gate was finished, Moulay Ismail inspected it, and asked El-Mansour if he could do better. El-Mansour answered yes, making the sultan so furious that he had him executed. However, according to historical records, the gate was finished 5 years after Moulay Ismail’s death in 1732. The gate is now used as an arts and crafts gallery.
- Bab Berdaïne – a magnificent gate built by Moulay Ismaïl.
- Dar El Beida, a 19th century palace built by sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah, and is currently home to the Royal Military Academy.
- Royal Golf club, built in 1971.
- Lahboul gardens which house the zoological gardens and open-air theatre.
- Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, built by Ahmed Eddahbi in 1703
- Néjjarine Mosque (10th century in the old city.
- The Grand Mosque which was founded in the 11th century by the Almoravids. It has a total of 11 gates and 143 arcades.
- Koubat Al Khayatin (“Ambassador’s Hall”). A pavilion in which sultan Moulay Ismaïl received foreign ambassadors.
- Bab Lakhmis – a large decorated gate from the 17th century.
- Royal stables which were ruined in an earthquake
- Agdal reservoir, - built by Moulay Ismai
- Cara subterranean prison
The ruins of the Roman town of Volubilis are about half an hour to the north of Meknes.
