Meknes

Meknes (مكناس) is a city in the Middle Atlas region of Morocco.

Fez driving you nuts? Nearby Meknes is a vibrant, modern city bustling with nightlife, restaurants and an impressive imperial city created in the 17th century by King Moulay Ismaïl, with numerous historical monuments and natural sites; it is also the nearest city to the Roman ruins of Volubilis (Oualili). Since it's relatively ignored by most tourists, it's also free of the usual hassles (touts, faux guides, etc.) that plague the other tourist centers. The prices in Meknes are among the most reasonable in Morocco and the people are much more polite and nicer than in the other cities. It is also one of the more liberal places in the country: unveiled women are much more often to be seen on the streets and female solo travelers especially enjoy Meknes as a welcome break from the permanent unwanted attention they get everywhere else.

• Bab Mansour. Bab means "gate" or "door" in Arabic, and Bab Mansour is the largest and most striking of Meknes' many gates (27 gates). It's directly across from Lahdim Square, the medina's main square. The gate is nowadays used for art exhibitions.
• Lahdim Square. Redone with new brickwork, this square once rivaled Djemaa el Fna in Marrakech but is now significantly less exciting (though there are a few nice cafés and snack spots in which to people-watch).
• Heri es-Souani. You can catch a glimpse of the grandeur of Moulay Ismail at these enormous granaries and horse stables, and sit beside the large Agdal Basin. 70 dirham.
• Meknes Royal Golf Course. The former palace gardens, now converted into a golf course. This place is absolutely marvelous. The gardens are beautifully kept and it is entirely surrounded by palace walls. It is open to the public. There is also a public café on the grounds. It's possible to eat on the terrace overlooking the course but you need to book in advance.
• Medersa Bou Inania. A beautiful Qur'anic school; you can explore all floors including the roof. 60 dirham.
• Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail. Daily 09:00–18:30. Although non-Muslims are not permitted to enter, they can view the tombs, which hold the body of Moulay Ismail and other relatives, from the entrance. Closed for renovation as of Mar 2019.
• Prison Kara. A huge underground prison where Moulay Ismail allegedly kept prisoners. A little pricey for basically just some empty halls underground. 60 dirham.
• Palais Al-Mansour. Half-destroyed palace built in 17th century to be king's summer residence.
• Agdal Basin. Basin built at the time of Ismail Moulay in the imperial city, northwest of the granaries.
• Mausoleum of Sidi ben Aïssa. Closed to non-Muslims.
• Al masjid AlAdam. Meknes' largest and oldest standing mosque (note: Non-Muslims are not permitted to enter).

• Dar Jamai Museum. W-M 10:00–17:30. This old palace, now a museum, is at the back of Place Hedim. It now houses the Museum of Moroccan Arts, which is exhibits artifacts, jewels, and old copies of the Qur'an. Dar Jamai is a gorgeous museum with exqusite gardens on the outside. Closed for renovation as of Feb 2018. 10 dirham.
• Meknes Museum. Small museum in an old mansion. 10 dirham.

Dar Jamai Museum. W-M 10:00–17:30. This old palace, now a museum, is at the back of Place Hedim. It now houses the Museum of Moroccan Arts, which is exhibits artifacts, jewels, and old copies of the Qur'an. Dar Jamai is a gorgeous museum with exqusite gardens on the outside. Closed for renovation as of Feb 2018. 10 dirham.

Meknes Museum. Small museum in an old mansion. 10 dirham.

Bab Mansour. Bab means "gate" or "door" in Arabic, and Bab Mansour is the largest and most striking of Meknes' many gates (27 gates). It's directly across from Lahdim Square, the medina's main square. The gate is nowadays used for art exhibitions.

Lahdim Square. Redone with new brickwork, this square once rivaled Djemaa el Fna in [[Marrakech]] but is now significantly less exciting (though there are a few nice cafés and snack spots in which to people-watch).

Heri es-Souani. You can catch a glimpse of the grandeur of Moulay Ismail at these enormous granaries and horse stables, and sit beside the large Agdal Basin. 70 dirham.

Meknes Royal Golf Course. The former palace gardens, now converted into a golf course. This place is absolutely marvelous. The gardens are beautifully kept and it is entirely surrounded by palace walls. It is open to the public. There is also a public café on the grounds. It's possible to eat on the terrace overlooking the course but you need to book in advance.

Medersa Bou Inania. A beautiful Qur'anic school; you can explore all floors including the roof. 60 dirham.

Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail. Daily 09:00–18:30. Although non-Muslims are not permitted to enter, they can view the tombs, which hold the body of Moulay Ismail and other relatives, from the entrance. Closed for renovation as of Mar 2019.

Prison Kara. A huge underground prison where Moulay Ismail allegedly kept prisoners. A little pricey for basically just some empty halls underground. 60 dirham.

Palais Al-Mansour. Half-destroyed palace built in 17th century to be king's summer residence.

Agdal Basin. Basin built at the time of Ismail Moulay in the imperial city, northwest of the granaries.

Mausoleum of Sidi ben Aïssa. Closed to non-Muslims.

Al masjid AlAdam. Meknes' largest and oldest standing mosque (note: Non-Muslims are not permitted to enter).

• Public swimming pool. There is a very popular public swimming pool between the medina and the new city, on a hot day it's a godsend.

Public swimming pool. There is a very popular public swimming pool between the medina and the new city, on a hot day it's a godsend.

Meknes isn't a shopper's paradise, but it's certainly cheaper than nearby Fez! The medina is chock full of traditional Moroccan clothing and rugs, as well as the popular Moroccan shoe, bilgha.. it's also known for it's iron made articles; the local artisanal speciality. The best way to enter the medina is at the back of Place Hedim, next to Dar Jamai. Herein you can find many shops catering to tourists. If you sojourn a bit deeper into the medina, you'll find plenty of unique shops selling jewelry, household goods, and other treasures.

Be sure to bargain! Don't accept the shopkeeper's first offer - not only does it ruin it for tourists who come after you, but it also goes against Moroccan custom. The easiest way to bargain, particularly without knowledge of French or Arabic, is to offer exactly half of the given price (or 75% for expensive or large-scale items). From there, the shopkeeper will go down a bit; you are expected to raise your price slowly until you come to an agreement.

If you can't agree on a price, try walking out of the store - this will generally lower the price significantly. And try not to be too stingy - the value of an item is your appreciation of it, not its ticket price.

There are dozens of restaurants and snack bars lining the main road, Rue Antsirape offering the staples of harira, tagine, cous cous and of course rotisserie chicken. A few restaurants on Rue Ghana, just off Rue Antsirabi, are popular with travellers and offer 40-dirham set menus.

• Le Pub, Avenue Allal Ben Abdellah. Open daily until midnight. Excellent, if slightly experimental, takes on French cuisine. Reliable pizza and alcohol license. 50-120 dirham.
• Athenos, Avenue Mohammed V. Open for lunch only. Delicious Moroccan staples, such as tajine, as well as fabulous desserts. 25-70 dirham.
• Mo Di Niro, Rue Antsirabé. Open daily until midnight. Popular with Meknassi teenagers, this restaurant serves good American-style burgers, pizza and pasta dishes. 20-100 dirham.
• La Fine Bouche, Avenue Allal Ben Abdellah. Open daily until 10:00. Translating as "The good mouth," this hole-in-the-wall serves up delicious chawarma and other specialties. 15-50 dirham.
• Ibis Hotel. Open daily until midnight. This chain hotel has a decent French-inspired menu, but the real draw is that they serve alcohol. 50-150 dirham.
• Label' Gallery. Restaurants vary; some open past midnight. The closest thing Meknes has to a shopping mall, this food court is the only place to find international cuisine, with Mexican, American, Thai, and Lebanese all on the menu. Prices vary greatly.
• Restaurant Marhaba: the most popular Meknassi restaurant, offers local menu of Ma'aqouda and Harira.

Le Pub, Avenue Allal Ben Abdellah. Open daily until midnight. Excellent, if slightly experimental, takes on French cuisine. Reliable pizza and alcohol license. 50-120 dirham.

Athenos, Avenue Mohammed V. Open for lunch only. Delicious Moroccan staples, such as tajine, as well as fabulous desserts. 25-70 dirham.

Mo Di Niro, Rue Antsirabé. Open daily until midnight. Popular with Meknassi teenagers, this restaurant serves good American-style burgers, pizza and pasta dishes. 20-100 dirham.

La Fine Bouche, Avenue Allal Ben Abdellah. Open daily until 10:00. Translating as "The good mouth," this hole-in-the-wall serves up delicious chawarma and other specialties. 15-50 dirham.

Ibis Hotel. Open daily until midnight. This chain hotel has a decent French-inspired menu, but the real draw is that they serve alcohol. 50-150 dirham.

Label' Gallery. Restaurants vary; some open past midnight. The closest thing Meknes has to a shopping mall, this food court is the only place to find international cuisine, with Mexican, American, Thai, and Lebanese all on the menu. Prices vary greatly.

Restaurant Marhaba: the most popular Meknassi restaurant, offers local menu of Ma'aqouda and Harira.

• Les Colliers de Colombe, 67 Rue Driba (behind Place Lalla Aouda near the medina. Delicious Moroccan staples, including the must-try pastilla. Most dishes are over 100 dirham.
• The market near the main place in the medina (at the Bab El-Mansur) has incredible fresh products. Lots of different kinds of olives, sweets, pickles, etc.

Les Colliers de Colombe, 67 Rue Driba (behind Place Lalla Aouda near the medina. Delicious Moroccan staples, including the must-try pastilla. Most dishes are over 100 dirham.

The market near the main place in the medina (at the Bab El-Mansur) has incredible fresh products. Lots of different kinds of olives, sweets, pickles, etc.

Those looking to find a watering hole in Meknes have come to the right place - in Morocco, anyway. For some strange reason, Meknes seems to have more bars than people. Only a few are suitable for the average traveler, however.

• Le Pub, Avenue Allal Ben Abdellah. Open daily until midnight. One of the only places in Meknes where women will feel comfortable finding a drink, this lively pub has two floors; the bottom is where the music and "scene" happens. 15-45 dirham bottle beers only, 50 dirham cocktails (Try the local wines; Guerrouane and Amazir are particularly tasty. Shisha (hookah tobacco) costs 50 dirham).
• Novelty, Top of Rue de Paris. Open daily until midnight. This renovated pub is rumored to be owned by Italians, which would explain the lovely wood decor. It's also the only place in Meknes to drink draught beer. 15-45 dirham draft or bottle beers, 50 dirham cocktails (Wine is served by the bottle only).

Le Pub, Avenue Allal Ben Abdellah. Open daily until midnight. One of the only places in Meknes where women will feel comfortable finding a drink, this lively pub has two floors; the bottom is where the music and "scene" happens. 15-45 dirham bottle beers only, 50 dirham cocktails (Try the local wines; Guerrouane and Amazir are particularly tasty. Shisha (hookah tobacco) costs 50 dirham).

Novelty, Top of Rue de Paris. Open daily until midnight. This renovated pub is rumored to be owned by Italians, which would explain the lovely wood decor. It's also the only place in Meknes to drink draught beer. 15-45 dirham draft or bottle beers, 50 dirham cocktails (Wine is served by the bottle only).

• Chefchaouen — a beautiful blue and white city in the mountains of northeastern Morocco.
• Fes
• Rabat
• Roman ruins of Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a short trip from Meknes. It is possible to go there by grand taxi via the town of Moulay Idriss, which is also worth a visit.

[[Chefchaouen]] — a beautiful blue and white city in the mountains of northeastern Morocco.

[[Fes]]

[[Rabat]]

Roman ruins of [[Moulay Idriss#Volubilis|Volubilis]], a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]], is a short trip from Meknes. It is possible to go there by grand taxi via the town of [[Moulay Idriss]], which is also worth a visit.