Meknès is one of the
four imperial cities of Morocco and the second stop on our
train trip around the country. Its name derives from a Berber tribe, the Miknasa, and it was the capital of the country under the emperor Mpulay Ismail ibn Sharif between the 17th and 18th centuries.
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| Graffiti in the Medina of Meknes |
Surrounded by a green and historically rich territory, the city is smaller and less famous than
Fez,
Rabat and Marrakech, but it has the advantage of not being crowded by the flow of tourists hence it has a more authentic feel.
Immediately outside the ancient walls of the Medina there is a square reminiscent of the Jaama el Fna of Marrakech: it's Place el-Hedim. Vendors, storytellers, games, shows and attractions take place here all day long: it is a busy and vibrant place, you can enjoy the coming and going of people comfortably seated in one of the restaurants and bars overlooking the square. But, as in all crowded places, keep an eye on your wallet and be aware of the touts and scams.
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| Place el-Hedim, Meknes |
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| Pottery, Meknes |
Near the square, you will find one of the magnificent gateways to the city, Bab el-Mansour, built in the 17th century. It is decorated with inscriptions, detailed mosaics and marble columns from the nearby Roman ruins of
Volubilis.
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| Bab el Mansour, Meknes |
On the square is also located the
Dar Jamai museum, that was unfortunately closed for renovation at the time of our visit. Built in 1882 at the request of Mohamed Ben Larbi Jamaï (Grand Vizier of Sultan Moulay Hassan I), this residence was first of all a palace. Following the death of Hassan I and family feuds, the palace was confiscated and sold to Madani El Glaoui of Marrakech, but the latter will never reside there. It was not until 1912 and the establishment of the French protectorate in Morocco that the Palais Dar Jamaï was used again, but this time as a Military Hospital. In 1920, this old palace opened to the public in a new form: The Museum of Indigenous Arts.
The
Medina, a UNESCO heritage site, dates back to the 11th century and it's the oldest part of the city. It rose as a fortified citadel and took on its current appearance only over time, after being surrounded by walls. As in every moroccan medina, it is very interesting the large number of fountains and their colors. They indicate the focal points of the Medina, where people gather and where the main activities take place.
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| Fountain, Meknes |
Inside the walls of the citadel, the
Madrasa Bou Inania, the Koranic school of the city consecrated in 1350 by Abu Inan Faris, is totally worth a stop. Personally this place was the highlight of our visit.
We loved the wooden ceilings, the mosaic decorated walls, the stained-glass doors, the elegant arches...the whole place has a magical and enchanting atmosphere.
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| Madrasa Bou Inania, Meknes |
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| Madrasa Bou Inania, Meknes |
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| Madrasa Bou Inania, Meknes |
Slightly away from the main square, there is a vast underground corridors system served by stairs and currently known as the Qara prison. The plan is formed by three rooms made up of a series of arcades resting on pillars and supporting lowered barrel vaults. According to the architecture of the monument and its striking resemblance to the attic of Heri Souani, it is very likely that its initial function was none other than to store food but it is said that it could have been used temporarily as a prison in wartime with the foreign countries and that it could contain up to 60,000 people at any given time. Slaves, prisoners of war, and political prisoners were among the unfortunates detained here. It is actually a place with a dense atmosphere but we found the entry ticket a bit overpriced.
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| Qara prison, Meknes |
Some websites suggested also a visit to the Royal Stables. We were not sure, as the comments on the site were not unanimously positive, so we walk up to the site but once there we decided not to enter. We found the entry ticket really too expensive for this kind of site, and had met other travelers who told us that the site wasn't worth the money and was not extremely well kept. So we can't really express a judgement on this.
Our conclusions and tips:
Meknes is much less touristy then
Fez or Marrakesh but most of the historical attractions and sights around the city are way too expensive for what they are. Especially the stables and prison.
Personally we really liked the medina, the souk and the Koranic school.
We were quite unlucky, to be honest, and it rained most of the time during our visit, as you can see from our pics, but we also used it as a base to visit Volubilis.
Beside that, one day should be enough to visit Meknes.
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