| Meknes مكناس, Miknās | ||
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Coat of arms  | ||
| State | Morocco | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Middle Atlas | |
| Altitude | 549 m a.s.l. | |
| Inhabitants | 950.322 (2006) | |
| POSTAL CODE | 50000 | |
Position
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Meknes (مكناس, Miknās) is a city of Middle Atlas.
To know
Less visited among the imperial cities, Meknes guarantees a more genuine and peaceful stay, certainly without the din of the acrobats of Marrakesh.
It is very close to Fez which seems to be preferred by tourists.
Geographical notes
Meknes is located about 500 meters above sea level, on the Saïs plateau, between the Middle Atlas mountain range to the south and the last offshoots of the Rif to the north.
The city is crossed by the wadi Boufekrane, which separates the medina from the new city, known as "Hamria").
When to go
The best time to visit is spring and autumn in between.
Meknes is characterized by a Mediterranean climate with continental influences caused by the considerable distance of the city from the sea. Annual temperature variations range from a summer average of 30ºC to a winter average of 7ºC.
The cold record was −10 ° C. and was recorded on January 27, 2005.
The rains are abundant in the period from October to March and total about 576 mm in all.
Background
Meknes was founded in the 10th century by the Berber tribe of the Meknassi to whom it owes its name. The city prospered under the Almohads and Merenids who erected some of the oldest monuments that have survived to our days.
In the seventeenth century Moulay Ismail, of the Alawite dynasty made Meknès his capital. Ismail endowed the city with mighty walls, 25 km long and an enormous palace that was never completed. The death of Ismail in 1727 marked the decline of Meknès . The new ruler Muhammad III preferred to move to Marrakesh. The 1755 earthquake that devastated Lisbon also dealt a severe blow to Meknès. Many of the buildings were delapitadi to adorn palaces in other cities.
In 1912 the French established their protectorate over most of Morocco and Meknes became the headquarters of the occupation army. Along with the military were also civilians who settled as farmers in the surrounding fertile plains. After independence the lands were expropriated and given to indigenous families.
The medina of Meknes has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996 and has undergone various restoration operations since then. In 2007 there was also the restoration and rearrangement of the famous Lahdim square which overlooks the equally famous door of the Renegade (Bab Mansour).
How to orient yourself
Meknes: full screen map.The valley of the Oued Bou Fekrane, whose bed usually appears dry, divides the old medina from the colonial era ville nouvelle. The two districts are connected by the Moulay Ismail avenue, the extension of which, Avenue Hassan II, is the main artery of the ville nouvelle.
South of the medina are the tomb and incomplete palace of Moulay Ismail.
The CTM train and bus stations are located in the ville nouvelle, as are most of the more expensive hotels.
How to get
By plane
The nearest airport is that of Fez (Fès-Saïss airport) where it is present Ryanair with flights also from Italian airports (Bergamo-Orio al Serio e Treviso).
Other more distant stopovers are a Casablanca, Tangier but they are equally well connected to Meknes by railways and highways.
By car
- A2 motorway. also called the highway of the imperial cities because it crosses Meknes and Fez, goes from Rabat in Oujda, on the border withAlgeria.
- Rabat it is 151 km further west of Meines while Oujda is 385 km (about 4h) further east.
- Fes which is located on the same track, is 57 km away (going in the direction of Rabat).
On the train
Meknès has two railway stations:
- 1 Meknès-Central Station (Gare de Meknès-Ville). It is the largest station where the express trains operating on the route stop Casablanca-Fez.
- The station is located in the new city district near the CTM, between the boulevard de la Gare and the grand boulevard des F.A.R. (Royal Armed Forces).
- The station has a newsstand, bar and automatic train ticket machine.
- In front of the station there is a taxi rank and a few meters further on, on the Avenue des F.A.R, there is a city bus stop.
- 2 Meknes-Amir Abdelkader station (Gare de Meknès-Amir Abdelkader).
By bus
- 3 Intercity bus station (Gare routière).
There are two bus terminals in the city. The more modern one is reserved for CTM bus lines.
How to get around
By public transport
Public transport consists exclusively of buses, which are naturally very crowded. As of 2021, a tram line was only studio.
By taxi
As in all cities of the Morocco, two types of taxis are available:
- Small light blue taxis for short trips within the city limits.
- Large taxis also for trips outside the city limits.
Small taxis are cheaper but large taxis can carry more passengers at the same time so they can be cheaper.
What see
- 1 Bab el-Mansour. Also called the door of the Renegade, Bab el-Mansour or Bab Mansour, it is the most impressive of those that open in the walls surrounding the medina of Meknes. It overlooks the famous Lahdim square.
- The gate was completed in 1732 by Moulay Abdallah, son of Sultan Moulay Ismaïl. Mark the main entrance to the imperial palace of Moulay Ismaïl. The door was designed by a Christian convert to Islam, hence the name: The door of the renegade (Mansour). The marble columns that adorn the protruding side ramparts come from the ruins of Volubilis.
- 2 Moulay Ismail Mausoleum. The mausoleum was erected when the sultan was still alive, and the veneration for Moulay Ismail is still assiduous. Although he was an absolutely despotic sultan, he is remembered for his conquests, expelled the Spaniards from Larache and the English from Tangier and was a custodian of more orthodox Islam, which formed the basis of the laws of the Alawid dynasty.
- The interior of the mausoleum, which is accessed through two courtyards, is decorated with zellige ceramics and elaborate stuccoes, without being a particularly sumptuous work, and only Muslims can reach the innermost part of the sanctuary where the sarcophagus is located.
- 3 Bab Berdaine Mosque. The Bab Berdaine Mosque is located in the old medina of Meknes. It was built by Khnata bent Bakkar, one of the wives of the Alawite king Moulay Ismail who lived in the 18th century. According to historians, the woman performed the functions of minister of foreign affairs.
- The collapse of the minaret of the mosque during the great Friday prayer of February 19, 2010, cost the lives of about forty people.
- 4 Jamaï Museum. Museum set up in the palace of the same name, built in 1882 by Mohamed ben Larbi Jamaï, Grand Vizier of Sultan Moulay Hassan I (1873-1894).
- The palace became the Louis Military Hospital in 1912, then it was transformed into a museum from 1920 under the name of "Museum of Indigenous Arts", and later renamed "Dar Jamaï Museum".
- Great Mosque.
- 5 Medersa Bou Inania. founded by the Merinid sultan Abu Inan Faris in 1350. The same sultan also founded another madrasa with the same name in the city of Fès.
- This madrasa is considered to be one of the most beautiful monuments left by the Merinids. The columns and doors feature stunning decorations, including ornamental inscriptions.
- The madrasa consists of a prayer room (Ṣalāt), an ablution room (wuḍūʾ), classrooms and a large patio.
- Mausoleum of Sidi ben Aïssa. the tomb of the Sufi saint Sidi ben Aïssa, who lived between the 15th and 16th centuries, today a destination for pilgrimages. Entry is not permitted for non-Muslims.
Events and parties
What to do
Shopping
How to have fun
Where to eat
Where stay
Average prices
- [link not working]Maison d'hôtes Riad Safir (150 m from the BAB MANSOUR gate.).
Safety
How to keep in touch
Around
- 1 Volubilis (33 km) - Ruins of the ancient Roman city included in the list UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1997.
- 2 Moulay Driss Zerhoun (5 km from the ruins of Volubilis) - Village with white houses, one of the prettiest in Morocco.
