Things to do in Meknès
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Palais de Poulet
Looking down from the Hôtel Rif towards Ave Hassan II, this is one of several good and cheap rotisserie places where you can fill up quickly on chicken, chips, bread and salad. Although you order from the table, pay at the counter inside.
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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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Covered Market
This is the place in Meknès to get fresh produce, and is virtually a tourist attraction in itself, with its beautifully arranged pyramids of sugary sweet delicacies, dates and nuts, olives and preserved lemons in glistening piles. There’s also good-quality fruit and veg here, as well as meat – the faint-hearted may choose to avoid the automated chicken-plucking machines at the rear of the hall.
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Le Dauphin
It might have an uninspiring exterior, but the French dining room and lovely garden give this restaurant one of the nicest dining settings in town. The menu is continental, with some good meat and fish dishes. Alcohol is served.
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Souqs
While the Souqs of Meknès aren't as extensive as those of Fès or Marrakesh, the lack of hassle makes them a great place to potter around looking for souvenirs.
The easiest route into the souqs is through the arch to the left of the Dar Jamaï Museum on the north side of Place el-Hedim. Plunge in and head northwards, and you will quickly find yourself amid souvenir stalls and carpet shops.
As you walk, notice the qissariat (covered markets) off to either side. A couple of these are devoted to textiles and carpets, which are noisily auctioned off on Sunday mornings. Okchen Market, in the last qissaria on the left before you reach the T-junction with Rue Najjarine,…
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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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City Tours
Compared to Fès and Marrakesh, the Meknès medina is fairly easy to navigate. If you are short of time, or if you wish to gain some local insight, book an official guide through the tourist office for around DH250 for a day. Calèche rides of the Imperial City with a guide are easy to pick up from around the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail - expect to pay around DH120 for a couple of hours.
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Restaurant Zitouna
In the heart of the medina, this grand establishment offers the same palace restaurant style you'd find in Fès. Its ornate covered courtyard is done up with zellij and stucco, with several small salons for more restrained dining. Traditional Moroccan dishes are naturally the order of the day, with pastilla being something of a house speciality.
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Centre Artisanale
The government-run Centre Artisanale is the place to go if you want to get an idea of what to look for and how much to spend. Quality is high but prices are fixed. Other shops are located just outside the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail. There are also some good pottery stalls set up on the western side of Place el-Hedim.
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Les Palmiers d’Aziza
With an exterior in bright Marrakesh pink, this popular café offers several options – sit in the sunny garden, hang at the tables near the mouthwatering cookie counter, or head upstairs to the covered terrace away from public view. The latter is a popular choice for boys and girls on dates. The ice cream and smoothies here are excellent.
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Dar Sultana
Also going under the name Sweet Sultana, this is a small but charming restaurant in a converted medina house. The tent canopy over the courtyard gives an intimate, even romantic, atmosphere, set off by walls painted with henna designs and bright fabrics. The spread of cooked Moroccan salads is a big highlight of the menu.
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NRJ
If you’re a young and fashionable Meknassi, then you’re going to be hanging out at NRJ. Importing a bit of big-city laptop-friendly cool, it’s all glass-topped tables, under-lit seating and funky tunes on the stereo. Perfect for a light meal any time of day, and the paninis and good range of juices are particularly good.
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Restaurant Oumnia
This is less a formal restaurant than a few rooms of a family home converted into dining salons, and the emphasis here is on warm service and hearty Moroccan fare. There’s just a three-course set menu, but it’s a real winner, with delicious harira (lentil soup), salads and a choice of several tajines of the day.
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Pizzeria le Four
This is as good a place as any in the ville nouvelle to load up on pizza, and the dark-wood and brick surroundings take you halfway out of Morocco towards Italy. Alcohol is served, so late at night you sometimes find local men getting sloshed among the clientele. Watch out for the steep service tax added to bills.
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Restaurant Riad
While all the riads in the Meknès medina have lovely restaurants, this is probably the pick of the bunch. Set around a lush green courtyard, it’s a great place to relax, and while the menu of salads, tajines and couscous is simple, it’s all delicious and served with care and attention.
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Sandwich stands
Take your pick of any one of the stands lining Place el-Hedim, and sit at the canopied tables to watch the scene as you eat. There are larger meals like tajines, but the sandwiches are usually quick and excellent, while a few places nearer the medina walls do a good line in sardines.
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Restaurant Gambrinus
A good place for Moroccan food in colourful surroundings in the ville nouvelle, which feels like something of a surprise when you discover that the original Gambrinus was a Czech immigrant in 1914. It’s perennially popular with locals, who come for the good range of tajines.
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Club Farah d'Équitation
Club Farah d'Équitation offers hourly lessons, day trips in the region and longer horse-riding treks around Morocco - book in advance. It's 7km out of Meknès at Dkhissa village (ask for the Swiss woman with the horses if you get lost).
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