Lonely Planet Morocco
Page 62
History
The Berber tribe of the Meknassis (hence the name Meknès) first settled here in the 10th century. Under the Almohads and Merenids, Meknès’ medina was expanded and some of the city’s oldest remaining monuments were built.
It wasn’t until the 17th century that Meknès really came into its own. The founder of the Alawite dynasty, Moulay ar-Rashid, died in 1672. His successor and brother, Moulay Ismail, made Meknès his capital, from where he would reign for 55 years.
Ismail endowed the city with 25km of imposing walls with monumental gates and an enormous palace complex that was never completed. That he could devote the time and resources to construction was partly due to his uncommon success in subduing all opposition in Morocco and keeping foreign meddlers at bay, mainly because of his notorious Black Guard.
Ismail’s death in 1727 also struck the death knell for Meknès. The town resumed its role as a backwater, as his grandson Mohammed III (1757–90) moved to Marrakesh. The 1755 earthquake that devastated Lisbon also dealt Meknès a heavy blow. As so often happened in Morocco, its monuments were subsequently stripped in order to be added to buildings elsewhere. It’s only been in the past few decades, as tourist potential has become obvious, that any serious restoration attempts have taken place.
In 1912 the arrival of the protectorate revived Meknès as the French made it their military headquarters. The army was accompanied by French farmers who settled on the fertile land nearby. After independence most properties were recovered by the Moroccan government and leased to local farmers.
1Sights
The heart of the medina is around Pl el-Hedim and the monumental gateway of Bab el-Mansour. Behind the gate lies Moulay Ismail’s imperial city. The narrow streets of the old mellah are in the west of the medina – look for the old balconied houses so distinctive of the Jewish quarter.
The easiest route into the medina's souqs is through the arch to the left of the Dar Jamaï Museum on the north side of Pl el-Hedim. Plunge in and head northwards, and you’ll quickly find yourself amid souvenir stalls and carpet shops.
Medina
oPlace el-HedimSQUARE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP )
The heart of the Meknès medina is Pl el-Hedim, the large square facing Bab el-Mansour. Before Moulay Ismail swept through town a kasbah stood on this spot, but once the bab was erected the king ordered for it to be demolished in favour of a broad plaza from which the gate could be better admired. Originally used for royal announcements and public executions, it's a good place to sit and watch the world go by.
There's definitely parallels to be drawn between this square and its grand cousin, Marrakesh’s Djemaa el-Fna. The Meknasi version, however, has a lot more of a local flavour. There’s always something going on – kids playing football, musicians drawing crowds, and promenading families treating their toddlers to spins in electric toy cars. Sadly you'll also sometimes see shackled monkeys captured from the nearby Middle Atlas, providing local entertainment.
One edge is lined with cafes and restaurants; behind these is an excellent, covered produce market.
oDar Jamaï MuseumMUSEUM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0555 53 08 63; Dh10; h9am-noon & 3-6.30pm Wed-Mon)
Overlooking Pl el-Hedim is Dar Jamaï, a palace built in 1882 by the powerful Jamaï family, two of whom were viziers to Sultan Moulay al-Hassan I. Since 1920 the palace has housed a fine museum of traditional ceramics, jewellery, textiles and cedar-wood craft dating from the 14th century. The museum’s Andalucian garden and courtyard are shady, peaceful spots amid overgrown orange trees, brimming with bird life – the crumbling palace and gardens are well worth the admission fee in their own right.
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 some antique carpets, representing various styles from different regions of Morocco. The exhibits are well constructed if a little dusty; explanations are in French and Arabic only.
The history of the palace is tumultuous: when Sultan Moulay al-Hassan I died in 1894, the Jamaï family fell foul of court politics and lost everything, including the palace, which was passed on to the powerful Al-Glaoui family. In 1912 the French commandeered the palace for a military hospital, before it was taken over in 1920 by the Administration des Beaux Arts.
Musée de MeknèsMUSEUM
(Meknès Museum; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Rte Dar Smen; Dh10; h9am-6pm Tue-Sun)
Housed in the peeling old Tribunal building, this small museum features metalwork, farming implements, clothing, jewellery, carpets and ceramics. Look out for the remarkable set of armour made of leather and encrusted with coral beads, turquoise studs and coins. This warrior was well protected with helmet, breastplate and gauntlets.
Information is in French only.
Medersa Bou InaniaISLAMIC SITE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Rue Najjarine; Dh10; h10am-6pm)
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 cedar-wood ceiling. You can climb onto the roof for views of the green-tiled roof and minaret of the Grande Mosquée nearby.
Students aged eight to 10 years once lived two to a cell on the ground floor, while older students and teachers lived on the 1st floor in the luxury of private rooms. On the right when you enter is the school room with a deep mihrab for natural amplification.
Lahboul GardensGARDENS
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Ave Moulay Al-Hassan ben Driss)F
These gardens overlooking the medina have seen better days, but are still a tranquil place to stroll if you need to switch off from the souq biz of old Meknès. The gardens are split into two areas and the gate linking them isn't always open so sometimes you may have to backtrack to the main gate (at the southeastern edge) and re-enter further north. The northern section of the gardens is scattered with columns from Volubilis and an amphitheatre.
Mausoleum of Sidi ben AïssaMAUSOLEUM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP )
Sidi ben Aïssa gave rise to one of the more unusual religious fraternities in Morocco, known for their self-mutilation and imperviousness to snake bites. His followers gather here at his mausoleum in spring (dates change with the lunar calendar) from all over Morocco and further afield. It's closed to non-Muslims.
Imperial City
oBab el-MansourGATE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP )
The focus of Pl 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 (although it’s sometimes open to host exhibitions), but instead have to make do with a side gate to the left.
The two white columns either side of the bab are Corinthian marble, plundered from a Marrakesh palace. They were acquired by Moulay Ismail during his lifetime but only added to the bab by Monlay Abdallah after his father's death. Along the top of the gate, the Arabic inscription extols Bab el-Mansour's virtues with a confidence befitting of the king. It reads: 'I am the most beautiful gate in Morocco. I'm like the moon in the sky. Property and wealth are written on my front.'
Place Lalla AoudaSQUARE
(Mechouar; MAP GOOGLE MAP )
South of Bab el-Mansour lies the mechouar (parade ground), now known as Pl 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. At the time of writing this ar
ea was being redeveloped into a garden with fountains and community space.
By the time of Moulay Ismail's 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 threat from Algeria.
Mausoleum of Moulay IsmailMAUSOLEUM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; donations welcome; h8.30am-noon & 2-6pm Sat-Thu)
A visit to the final resting place of the sultan who made Meknès his capital in the 17th century should be a rite of passage for those travelling through town. Moulay Ismail’s stature as one of Morocco’s greatest rulers means that non-Muslim visitors are usually welcomed into the sanctuary, but in 2016 the site closed for much-needed restoration work following pressure from Unesco. It was expected to reopen some time in 2018. The tomb hall is a lavish celebration of the best of Moroccan craftsmanship.
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. Photography is permitted, but non-Muslims may not approach the tomb itself. The mausoleum is diagonally opposite the Koubbat as-Sufara’ in the Imperial City.
Koubbat as-Sufara’MONUMENT
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Dh10; h10am-6pm Apr-Sep, to 5pm Oct-Mar)
The Koubbat as-Sufara’ was once the reception hall for foreign ambassadors and it's here that Unesco chose to place its World Heritage inscription when the city was designated in 1996. In front of the building is a broad clearing pockmarked with small subterranean windows providing light for a vast 40-hectare crypt of similar construction to the granary at Heri es-Souani. Take the stairs down to the right of the entrance to Koubbat as-Sufara’; the entrance fee covers both.
The dark and slightly spooky network of rooms below ground was a mystery when discovered. Historians now believe it 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.
oHeri es-SouaniRUINS
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Dh10; h9am-noon & 3-6.30pm)
Nearly 2km southeast of Moulay Ismail's mausoleum, the king's immense granaries and stables, Heri es-Souani, were ingeniously designed. Tiny ceiling windows, massive walls and a system of underfloor water channels kept the temperatures cool and air circulating. Incredibly the building provided stabling and food for 12,000 horses, and Moulay Ismail regarded it as one of his finest architectural projects. The giant vaults are impressive and atmospheric – particularly in the darkest corners – with original cedar wood doors leaning against the walls.
Look for the noria room where horses would have once drawn up buckets of water from underground. Beyond the granary lies the stables, with row upon row cleverly set at angles to give the stable masters maximum visibility of their steeds across a huge area. Its flat roof caved in during an 18th-century earthquake and it is thought that before this event the stables were seven times longer than what can be seen today – quite a vision!
In summer it’s a long hot walk here from Moulay Ismail’s mausoleum, so you might want to catch a taxi or calèche (horse-drawn carriage). If you do decide to walk, follow the road from the mausoleum south between the high walls and past the main entrance of the Royal Palace (no visitors) to find the entrance straight ahead.
Agdal BasinLAKE
( GOOGLE MAP )
Immediately north of the Heri es-Souani granaries and stables lies an enormous stone-lined lake, the Agdal Basin. Originally it was fed by a complex aqueduct system some 25km long and it served as both a reservoir for the sultan’s gardens and a pleasure lake. Today the water is stagnant, but it's still a pleasant place to stroll, with a giant Giacometti-like statue of a traditional water-seller watching over it.
Outside The Centre
Palais Al-MansourPALACE
F
Little visited but rather glorious in its semi-state of repair, Palais Al-Mansour is an all-but-forgotten relic of Moulay Ismail's reign, in a quiet suburb of Meknès. The 17th-century palace was once the king's summer residence, built by the same architect who masterminded Bab el-Mansour. It is in the process of being resurrected from rubble but progress is slow. The round, domed reception room – architecturally magnificent with seven arches, but restrained in every other way, typical of Moulay Ismail's distinctive style – is a highlight.
Before you leave ask to be taken onto the roof, where the ruins of the residential palace rooms are open to the elements and the Imperial City can just about be spied from the balconies fronting the palace. In contrast to the stately ground floor, this rooftop residence would have once been highly decorated and you can still see pockets of original mosaic tiles in a couple of spots on the floor.
Meknès Medina
1Top Sights
1Bab el-MansourC4
2Dar Jamaï MuseumB3
3Place el-HedimB3
1Sights
4Koubbat as-Sufara'C4
5Lahboul GardensC2
6Mausoleum of Moulay IsmailC4
7Mausoleum of Sidi ben AïssaA2
8Medersa Bou InaniaB3
9Musée de MeknèsC3
10Place Lalla AoudaC3
4Sleeping
11Hôtel MarocD3
12Riad d'OrC3
13Riad El MaC3
14Riad FelloussiaC3
15Riad LahboulD3
16Riad MeknèsD4
17Riad YacoutC3
18Ryad BahiaB3
5Eating
19Covered MarketB3
20Restaurant Mille et Une NuitsC3
21Restaurant OumniaD3
Restaurant Riad MeknèsD4
22Restaurant YahalaC3
Ryad BahiaB3
23Sandwich StandsB3
6Drinking & Nightlife
24Cafe Restaurant Place LehdimeB3
25Pavillon des IdrissidesC3
7Shopping
26Ensemble ArtisanaleB4
Pottery StallsB3
TTours
Compared with Fez and Marrakesh, the Meknès medina is fairly easy to navigate (but don't let that fool you into thinking you won't get lost). If you are short on time, or if you wish to gain some local insight, book an official guide through your hotel for Dh300/500 for a half-/full day.
Calèche rides of the imperial city with a guide are easy to pick up around Pl el-Hedim and behind Bab el-Mansour – a quick 30-minute 'grand tour' of the city's main attractions costs from Dh100 to Dh120.
zFestivals & Events
Moussem of Sidi ben AïssaRELIGIOUS
One of the largest moussems in Morocco takes place on the eve of Moulid at Meknès' Mausoleum of Sidi ben Aïssa, outside the medina walls, in celebration of the Aïssawa Sufi brotherhood. It’s a busy and popular festival with fantasias, fairs, singing and dancing. The dates change each year as they're fixed by the Islamic lunar calendar.
THE ALMIGHTY MOULAY
Few men dominate the history of a country like the towering figure of Sultan Moulay Ismail (1672–1727). Originating from the sand-blown plains of the Tafilalt region, his family were sherifs (descendants of the Prophet Mohammed) – a pedigree that continues to underpin the current monarchy.
Ruthlessness as well as good breeding were essential characteristics for becoming sultan. On inheriting the throne from his brother Moulay ar-Rashid, Moulay Ismail set about diffusing the rival claims of his 83 brothers and half-brothers, celebrating his first day in power by murdering all those who refused to submit to his rule. His politics continued in this bloody vein with military campaigns in the south, the Rif Mountains and Algerian hinterland, bringing most of Morocco under his control. He even brought the Salé corsairs to heel, taxing their piracy handsomely to swell the imperial coffers.
The peace won, Moulay Ismail retired to his capital at Meknès and began building his grandiose imperial palace, plundering the country for th
e best materials, and building city walls, kasbahs and many new towns. This cultural flowering was Morocco’s last great golden age.
Moulay Ismail also considered himself a lover. Although he sought (but failed to receive) the hand in marriage of Louis XIV of France’s daughter, he still fathered literally hundreds of children. Rather foolishly, however, he did nothing to secure his succession. When he died the sultanate was rocked by a series of internecine power struggles, from which the Alawites never fully recovered.
Nevertheless, his legacy was to be the foundation of modern Morocco. He liberated Tangier from the British, subdued the Berber tribes and relieved the Spanish of much of their Moroccan territory. Moulay Ismail sowed the seeds of the current monarchy and beneath his strong-arm rule the coherent entity of modern Morocco was first glimpsed.
4Sleeping
The riad scene has exploded in Meknès and there are now dozens of good options in the medina. Although your money will stretch further in the ville nouvelle, hotels lack atmosphere, often allow smoking and most are in need of a good refurb.
Medina
Most of Meknès’ cheapies cluster along Rue Dar Smen and Rue Rouamzine on the edge of the old city. During festivals, they can fill up quickly. Riads are mostly clustered just north and east of Pl el-Hedim.