Meknes

Completed in 1732 under Sultan Moulay Abdallah after his father Moulay Ismail's death, Bab el-Mansour is widely considered the most magnificent city gate in Morocco and one of the finest examples of Moroccan-Islamic architecture anywhere. The enormous arch is framed by flanking bastions, all covered in a rich mosaic of green and white zellij tile below and elaborate carved stucco above. Four massive marble columns — plundered from Volubilis — flank the main arch.

The tomb of Sultan Moulay Ismail (1645-1727), one of Morocco's most significant rulers, is among the few royal mausoleums in Morocco open to non-Muslim visitors. The complex includes several courtyards of increasing sanctity, prayer halls, and the burial chamber itself, whose carved cedarwood and gilded plaster decoration is exceptional. Moulay Ismail is revered as a founding figure of modern Morocco.

The most extraordinary surviving monument of Moulay Ismail's imperial city: the royal granaries and stables complex capable of housing 12,000 horses and storing grain for twenty years. The granaries are vast vaulted chambers, now roofless, with 12-meter-high walls creating a cathedral-like space of great beauty and melancholy. Ingenious underground ventilation and cooling systems kept the grain dry. The adjacent Bassin de l'Aguedal is a large artificial lake that provided water for the stables and gardens.

A magnificently restored 19th-century palace that served as the residence of the Jamai family, viziers to Sultan Moulay Hassan I. The palace became a museum in 1920 and displays exceptional collections of traditional Moroccan arts and crafts: Fes pottery, Meknes embroidery, traditional costumes, jewelry, carved cedarwood, and zellige tilework. The Andalusian garden at the center is particularly beautiful.

Built by the Merenid Sultan Abu Inan between 1345 and 1358, the Bou Inania Madrasa of Meknes predates its more famous counterpart in Fes by a few years. The quality of craftsmanship — carved cedarwood screens, zellige tile lower walls, carved stucco upper walls, and ornamental plasterwork — is exceptional. Being far less visited than the Fes madrasa means you can often have it to yourself.

In the evenings, Place el-Hedim transforms from a transit square into an open-air food market, entertainment space, and social gathering point for Meknes residents. Tagine vendors, orange juice carts, msemen grills, and sweet pastry stalls set up around the square. Musicians and storytellers sometimes appear. The scale is smaller than Marrakech's Jemaa el-Fna but the atmosphere is more authentically local.

The best-preserved Roman ruins in Morocco, 25 km from Meknes. The UNESCO-listed site spans 42 hectares of the Meknassi plain, with a 3km-long defensive wall, a triumphal arch dedicated to Emperor Caracalla (216 AD), a capitoline temple, basilica, forum, and dozens of private houses with intact mosaic floors. The Orpheus mosaic, the Dionysus mosaic, and the Nereids series are among the finest Roman mosaics surviving outside Italy.

The holiest city in Morocco, built around the tomb of Moulay Idriss I, the founder of the first Moroccan dynasty (the Idrisids) and great-grandson of the Prophet Mohammed. The town clings to two hills of the Zerhoun massif in a dramatically beautiful setting. Non-Muslims were forbidden to stay overnight in Moulay Idriss until 2005, and the town retains a charged spiritual atmosphere. The cylindrical minaret of the main mosque is the only cylindrical minaret in Morocco.

The Meknes region is Morocco's premier wine-producing area, sheltered from Atlantic winds by the Middle Atlas and benefiting from a continental climate. The Guerrouane appellation and the broader Meknes-Fes valley produce the country's best reds (Cabernet, Syrah, Merlot blends), whites, and the distinctive Gris de Boulaoune rosé. Domaine de la Zouina, Celliers de Meknes (the largest producer), and smaller estates accept visits.

Meknes's traditional craft souks are among Morocco's best values: the quality of brass and copper work, the carved wood, and the traditional carpets match what you'll find in Fes at significantly lower prices, and with considerably less pressure to buy. The souk areas are organized by craft type in the traditional Islamic manner, with specific streets for metalworkers, leather tanners, carpenters, and textile merchants.

The vast underground dungeon complex built by Moulay Ismail to house the Christian captives — sailors, soldiers, and merchants seized in Mediterranean raids — who built his imperial city. At its peak it held an estimated 40,000 prisoners. The partially excavated complex runs under much of the imperial city and the accessible sections give a visceral sense of the scale and horror of Moulay Ismail's labor system.

The Jewish quarter established by Moulay Ismail in 1682 retains its distinctive architecture and heritage. The multi-story houses with wooden balconies facing the street are unique in Morocco, where traditional architecture typically faces inward. The Jewish cemetery, one of the best-preserved in Morocco, contains graves of rabbis and community leaders spanning three centuries.