Meknes

The imperial city of Sultan Moulay Ismail, with the monumental Bab Mansour gate and vast royal granaries and stables; the nearby Roman ruins of Volubilis and the holy town of Moulay Idriss can be visited on the same day.

Meknes lies in the Fès-Meknès region of northern Morocco, about 60 km west of Fez. Built up as an imperial capital by Sultan Moulay Ismail in the 17th century, it ranks alongside Fez, Marrakech and Rabat as one of Morocco's four imperial cities, and its historic city was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. The city falls into three parts: the old town (medina) in the north, with the Grand Mosque, the Bou Inania Madrasa and traditional souks; in the middle, Place El Hedim and Bab Mansour, where food stalls, storytellers and street performers gather in the evening; and to the south, the vast imperial city, where you can follow the high walls to the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, the Kara Prison, the outer walls of the Royal Palace, the Heri es-Souani royal granaries and the Agdal Basin. About 30 km to the north are the Roman ruins of Volubilis (a World Heritage Site) and the holy town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, usually visited on a half- or full-day trip by hired taxi. The best seasons are March–May and September–November; summer afternoons often top 35°C, and winters are rainy, grey and cold. Getting there: Meknes has two train stations, about 40 minutes from Fez, 2 hours from Rabat and 3 hours from Casablanca; the city's sights are close together, so walking plus petits taxis will cover it. Allow 1–2 days: one for the medina and imperial city, one for Volubilis and Moulay Idriss. Meknes sees fewer tourists than Fez or Marrakech and touting is less aggressive, but still be wary of self-styled guides approaching you; during Ramadan some sights shorten their opening hours, and note that non-Muslims are generally not permitted inside mosques.

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