Moroccan Versailles – is another name for this beautiful city. Tripety Travelers are always impressed when they visit this lovely city. Meknes was the capital of Morocco during the reign of Ismail. Nowadays this city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the four imperial cities of the Kingdom. It is “a city of 100 minarets”.
You can get to Meknes from the nearest airport in Casablanca. The bus to Meknes departs several times per day. You can plan your expenses with the Tripety business travel planner, so your budget may let you take a taxi rather than going by bus.
The city is divided into two large parts: the old part (Medina) and the new part (Ville Nouvelle).
The old and new towns are separated by the Bufekran river, which has already dried up. There is a bridge thrown across it. Historic sites are mainly concentrated in the old town. Different kinds of entertainment, cafes, restaurants, and shops are concentrated in the new town.
The best time to travel to Meknes is April-June and October-November. The rest of the months are very hot there. The temperature can rise above 32-33C.
You can stay in Meknes in traditional Moroccan houses with beautiful riads courtyards, or in dars – Moroccan houses without a central courtyard. Such houses are concentrated in the medina. As for modern hotels, they are located in new regions of the city.
There are also many opportunities for Tripety travelers to have dinner at street restaurants and cafes. The gastronomic choice is impressive by its variety. There is everything: from hot sandwiches to national dishes. At the local market, you can buy fresh food, pickles, marinades, and prepare your own lunch or dinner. The market is located at the main gate close to the medina. Meknes has the largest concentration of drinking establishments in Morocco. Plan your dinner with the Tripety travel planner.
There are a lot of beautiful places that you should visit during the trip with the Tripety travel app.
TOP things to do and to see in Meknes:
Ruins of Volubilis. There are the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Volubilis 30 kilometers far from Meknes. Excavations have shown that people inhabited this area even during the Neolithic period. In the III century BC, the Berber town that existed here was strongly influenced by Carthage. Its population consisted of Berbers, Greeks, Jews and Syrians.
According to the convention on world cultural and historical monuments in December 1997, the archaeological museum of Volubilis was included in the list of world cultural monuments and declared a heritage of mankind.
The ancient ruins of Volubilis attract not only archaeologists and Tripety travelers, but also filmmakers. So, part of the famous film “Jesus of Nazareth” was filmed in these ruins.
Bab el Mansour gate. The Bab al-Mansur gate is the main entrance to the Imperial City of Meknes since 1732. Like all main gates, this gate is very beautifully decorated. They show graceful stucco arabesques, mosaic patterns of glazed ceramics, and black Arabic script, making a tremendous impression. The columns of the gate are much older than the gate – they were brought from the Apennine Peninsula.
The gate was designed to protect from enemy attacks. If the enemy could break the first doors, then the enemy stopped next to the second doors, which were more difficult to breakthrough.
The name of the gate, meaning “Gate of Mansur the apostate”, immortalized the name of its architect, who was a prisoner of a Moroccan prison – Christian Mansour La Riche, who was freed after accepting Islam.
Nowadays, there are temporary exhibitions of contemporary artists inside the gate.
Tripety travel app will help you to plan your trip easily.
Mosque-mausoleum of Sultan Mulei Izmail. The mosque-mausoleum of Sultan Mouley Izmail, one of the greatest Govs of Morocco, consists of three brightly decorated ships: a mosque and the tomb of the Sultan and his family. It is believed that a visit to the burial site of Moulay Ishmael brings divine blessings to all visitors and pilgrims.
The full name of the sultan is Moulay Abu-ul Nasir Ismail as-Samine ibn Rashid. He was the second President of Morocco in the Alawite dynasty (1672-1727). He chose Meknes as the capital of his empire in 1672 and built a 25 kilometers long defensive wall. He wanted to turn Meknes into Moroccan Versailles. There are facts in history that Ishmael asked Louis XIV to marry one of his daughters.
Moulay Ishmael is the most notorious President of Morocco. During his work he gained a reputation for being tough. He created monuments and palaces on other monuments and palaces. Many slaves and prisoners built a tomb for him. He was buried with one of his 500 wives and two of his 800 children in the mausoleum.
You should visit this unforgettable place with the Tripety travel planner.
