Must-see attractions in Meknes

  • Meknes, Meknes, Morocco, North Africa, Africa

    Bab El Mansour

    Meknes

    The focus of Place El Hedim is this huge gate, perhaps the grandest of all imperial Moroccan gateways. The gate is well preserved, if a bit dulled by soot…

  • Medersa Bou Inania

    Meknes

    Opposite the Grande Mosquée, this religious school, completed in 1358, is typical of the exquisite Merinid interior design. Although it is not as lavish…

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    Place El Hedim

    Meknes

    Cleared by Moulay Ismail so his populace could better admire Bab El Mansour, this square is the social heart of the medina, and it really livens up at…

  • MEKNES, MOROCCO - FEBRUARY 29, 2016: Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail interior in Meknes in Morocco. Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail is a tomb and mosque located in the Morocco city of Meknes.; Shutterstock ID 421915627; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Day in Meknes article

    Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail

    Meknes

    Closed since 2016 for a massive renovation, the final resting place of the sultan who made Meknes his capital in the 17th century is ordinarily a must-see…

  • Dar Jamaï Museum

    Meknes

    On the north side of Place El Hedim, this museum was under renovation at last visit, with a possible reopening in 2020. Built in 1882 by the powerful…

  • Palais Al Mansour

    Meknes

    Moulay Ismail's summer palace, built in the countryside in the 17th century, now sits in the middle of the urban fabric of Meknes – there's even a…

  • Heri es-Souani, an ancient grain container, Meknes, Morocco; Shutterstock ID 32782828; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: BiT 2019 destination page update

    Heri Es Souani

    Meknes

    Moulay Ismail considered this early-18th-century complex one of his finest architectural projects, and on paper it's a marvel. The massive, thick-walled,…

  • Koubbat As Sufara

    Meknes

    Moulay Ismail's reception hall for foreign ambassadors is a lovely show of zellige (patterned tile) work. It's here that Unesco officially inscribed…

  • Agdal Basin

    Meknes

    Adjacent to the Heri Es Souani lies an enormous stone-lined lake, the Agdal Basin, built in the 18th century as both a reservoir for Moulay Ismail's…

  • Place Lalla Aouda

    Meknes

    South of Bab El Mansour lies this public garden and car park that's a popular place with local families in the evening – less raucous than Place El Hedim,…

  • Musée de Meknès

    Meknes

    Housed in the peeling old tribunal building in the imperial city walls, this small museum is long overdue for a refresh, but while the larger Dar Jamaï…

  • Lahboul Gardens

    Meknes

    These gardens just outside the medina were being renovated on the last visit. When finished, they should be a tranquil place to stroll after a busy…

  • Mausoleum of Sidi Ben Aïssa

    Meknes

    Known as Cheikh El Kamel for his perfection in learning, Sidi Ben Aïssa (1465–1526) inspired the Aïssawa Sufi brotherhood, widely followed in North Africa…

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