Meknes
The Ismaili city: monumental, peaceful, Moulay Ismail's 'Moroccan Versailles'.
The fourth imperial city, Meknes owes its grandeur to Sultan Moulay Ismail, who made it his capital in the 17th century. Its monumental ramparts and the Bab Mansour gate are among the finest in Morocco.
Less busy than Fez or Marrakech, Meknes wins you over with its calm, its granary-stables, its lively squares and its closeness to the Roman site of Volubilis.
A capital rebuilt in the 17th century by Sultan Moulay Ismail. UNESCO cites its walls and monumental gates, where the Islamic architecture of the Maghreb meets the European.
Historic City of Meknes — inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1996.
What to see and do in Meknes
- The monumental Bab Mansour gate
- The Heri es-Souani granaries and stables
- El-Hedim square and the medina
- The mausoleum of Moulay Ismail
- The ramparts and the Agdal basins
Frequently asked questions
Meknes and Volubilis on the same day?
Yes. Volubilis is thirty minutes away: a single day is enough to combine the imperial city and the Roman site, and that is how we schedule it.
Why Meknes on the tour?
For a full imperial city far less visited than Fez. We add it alongside, most often on the same day as Volubilis.