What to do in Meknes

1. What to do in the city

**Bab Mansour and Place El Hedim.** Bab Mansour is the great ceremonial gate of the imperial city, decorated with green zellige tiles and marble columns, completed in 1732. It faces Place El Hedim, Meknes's main square, lined with cafes, between the medina and the imperial city. It is the natural starting point for a visit.

**The medina and the souks.** The Meknes medina is smaller and quieter than the one in Fes. Its narrow lanes hold craft, spice and textile shops, as well as a covered market selling olives, breads and fresh produce. It is best wandered without a fixed route, keeping Bab Mansour as a landmark.

**Heri es-Souani.** The royal granaries and stables of Moulay Ismail are vast vaulted halls, built to store grain and house the sultan's army horses. The neighbouring basin, the Sahrij Souani, belonged to the same water system. The scale of the place shows the size of Moulay Ismail's imperial project.

**The Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail.** The sultan's resting place is one of the few religious monuments in Morocco open to non-Muslims. Its courtyards are decorated with zellige tiles and carved plaster.

**The Bou Inania Medersa.** This 14th-century Quranic school, from the Marinid period, is decorated with carved wood and stucco. It is one of the finest monuments in the medina.

**The Dar Jamai Museum.** This 19th-century palace, with an Andalusian garden, houses a collection of Moroccan crafts and traditional arts: carpets, embroidery, saddles and jewellery.

**Volubilis and Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, outside the city.** North of Meknes, the Roman ruins of Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage site, preserve mosaics, a basilica and a triumphal arch. Nearby, the holy town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, set on a hill, holds the mausoleum of Idriss I. These two places are not in Meknes: they are visited as a day trip, by grand taxi or by car.

2. Seasonal notes

Meknes can be visited all year, but walking the medina and the open-air sites is easier when the heat is less strong. In summer, the heat makes midday visits hard: it is better to visit in the morning and late afternoon, and to keep the cool interiors — Heri es-Souani, the Dar Jamai Museum — for the hot hours.

Place El Hedim comes alive in the evening, when the cafes fill and life on the square picks up again after the heat of the day.

3. Practical notes

• **Do everything on foot in the centre.** Bab Mansour, Place El Hedim, the medina and Heri es-Souani are all reached on foot. Keep the car or taxi for Volubilis and Moulay Idriss.
• **Check opening before entering.** Some monuments close for restoration without wide advance notice. Ask on the spot, at the entrance or at your accommodation, whether the monument you want is open that day.
• **No prices or hours are given here.** Entry fees and opening hours change: check them on the spot rather than trusting a figure found online.
• **Respect religious places.** In the mausoleum and places of worship, follow the posted rules and the staff's directions.
• **Carry water and a hat in summer.** The open-air sites offer little shade, and walking distances add up quickly.
• **This page gives general information.** It sells nothing and verifies no site, guide or ticket in particular.