- Sample Itineraries
Points of Interest
- Fès
- Meknès and Volubilis
- Marrakech
- Rabat and Casablanca
- Tanger and the North
- High Atlas
- Sahara Desert
- Taroudant
Travel to Meknès with Heritage Tours Private Travel
Meknès
Meknès, were it not for its proximity to Fès, would be a highlight of Morocco. As it is, it tends to be overshadowed by its larger neighbor to the east.
Meknès is, like Fès, a former capital of Morocco, although at a much later point in its history.
Within a great system of triple walls—25 miles in length—it is especially noted for its beautiful gates ("Bab" in Arabic)—considered to be among the most beautiful gates—and among the best preserved—in the Islamic world.
Not to be missed among its many monuments—many built from columns and capitals plundered from nearby Volubulis—are Imperial the Stables and the Tomb of Moulay Ismail (the sultan responsible for turning Meknes into a Royal City), an active shrine to which women flock from all over Morocco to ask for his blessing or barakha.
with Heritage Tours Private Travel
Even for world-travelers who have seen their share of Roman ruins, the ruins at Volubulis are particularly compelling.
The site is extensive. You see not only the major public monuments, but you get a sense of the typical residential quarters and how the city actually functioned—which it did, in fact, until well into the 18th century—when the city was plundered to build Meknes.
The ruins at Volubulis are also well-regarded for the number of original and very impressive mosaics that are still in situ.
The best time to visit the site is in the calm of early morning, before it is overwhelmed by busloads of European tourists.
Moulay Idriss
Moulay Idriss is a small town, whitewashed, scenically nestled in a fold of the Rif Mountains and visible from the ancient ruins of nearby Volubulis.
It is named after the man who brought Islam to Morocco and who is buried in the holiest precinct of the city. Moulay Idriss was the great-grandson of the prophet Mohamed, who fled to Morocco in 787. He made this town his capital and founded nearby Fes, which would become the capital of his son Moulay Idriss II. He was poisoned only five years later.
It is considered the holiest town in Morocco and was, in fact, forbidden to non-Muslims until 1916 (in fact, the holiest precinct is still off-limits to non-Muslims).
One of the five pillars of Islam is the hajj—the pilgrimage to Mecca; it is an obligation for every Muslim man to make the pilgrimage at least once in his life. For those Moroccans who cannot afford to travel to Mecca, it is considered of equal merit to make a pilgrimage to Moulay Idriss five times in one's life.
< Return to the Morocco home page
