Sights in Meknès
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Place el-Hedim
The heart of Meknès medina is Place el-Hedim , the large square facing Bab el-Mansour. Built by Moulay Ismail and originally used for royal announcements and public executions, it's a good place to sit and watch the world go by - kids playing football, hawkers selling miracle cures, and promenading families. The western side of the square is edged by an excellent covered produce market and catches the spill-over from the souqs to the north.
To the south, the impressive monumental gateway of Bab el-Mansour leads into Moulay Ismail's imperial city. The narrow streets of the old mellah are in the west of the medina.
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Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail
Diagonally opposite the Koubbat as-Sufara’ is the resting place of the sultan who made Meknès his capital in the 17th century. Moulay Ismail’s stature as one of Morocco’s greatest rulers means that non-Muslim visitors are welcomed into the sanctuary. Entry is through a series of austere, peaceful courtyards meant to induce a quiet and humble attitude among visitors, an aim that’s not always successful in the face of a busload of tourists. The tomb hall is a lavish contrast and showcase of the best of Moroccan craftsmanship. Photography is permitted, but non-Muslims may not approach the tomb itself.
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Dar Jamaï Museum
Since 1920 the palace Dar Jamaï has housed the Administration des Beaux Arts and one of Morocco’s best museum. Exhibits include traditional ceramics, jewellery, rugs and some fantastic textiles and embroidery. Look out for the brocaded saddles, and some exquisite examples of Meknasi needlework (including some extravagant gold and silver kaftans). The koubba (domed sanctuary) upstairs is furnished as a traditional salon complete with luxurious rugs and cushions. The museum also has a fine collection of antique carpets, representing various styles from different regions of Morocco.
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Place Lalla Aouda
South of Bab el-Mansour lies the mechouar (parade ground), now known as Place Lalla Aouda , where Moulay Ismail inspected his famed Black Guard. After bringing 16,000 slaves from sub-Saharan Africa, Moulay Ismail guaranteed the continued existence of his elite units by providing the soldiers with women and raising their offspring for service in the guard. By the time of his death, the Black Guard had expanded tenfold.
Its successes were many, ranging from quelling internal rebellions, to chasing European powers out of northern Morocco, to disposing of the Ottoman Turk threat from Algeria.
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Heri es-Souani
Located nearly 2km southeast of the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail are Moulay Ismail’s immense granaries and stables - Heri es-Souani. They are ingeniously designed. Tiny windows, massive walls and a system of underfloor water channels kept the temperatures cool and air circulating. The building provided stabling and food for an incredible 12,000 horses, and Moulay Ismail regarded it as one of his finest architectural projects.
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Koubbat as-Sufara’
The Koubbat as-Sufara’ was once the reception hall for foreign ambassadors. Beside the entrance, you will notice the shafts that descend into a vast crypt. This dark and slightly spooky network of rooms was used for food storage, although tour guides will delight in recounting the (erroneous) story that it was used as a dungeon for the Christian slaves who provided labour for Moulay Ismail’s building spree. Bring a torch.
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Mausoleum of Sidi ben Aïssa
If you exit the medina via Bab Berrima and follow the lane north, hugging the outside of the city wall, you'll eventually come across workers busily stuffing mattresses. A left turn here takes you northwest to the newly restored mausoleum of Sidi ben Aïssa . Sidi ben Aïssa gave rise to one of the more extreme religious fraternities in Morocco. His followers gather here in July from all over Morocco and further afield.
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Bab el-Mansour
The focus of Place el-Hedim is the huge gate of Bab el-Mansour, the grandest of all imperial Moroccan gateways. The gate is well preserved with lavish (if faded) zellij and inscriptions across the top. It was completed by Moulay Ismail's son, Moulay Abdallah, in 1732. You can't walk through the bab itself - which is opened only on grand occasions - but instead have to make do with a side gate to the left.
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Medersa Bou Inania
Opposite the Grande Mosquée, the Medersa Bou Inania is typical of the exquisite interior design that distinguishes Merenid monuments. It was completed in 1358 by Bou Inan, after whom a more lavish medersa in Fez is also named. This medersa is a good display of the classic Moroccan decorative styles – the zellij base, delicate stucco midriff and carved olivewood ceiling.
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