Meknès
Overview
Meknes is one of the four Imperial cities and its name and fame are closely linked to that of the Moroccan Sultan Moulay Ismail. He made Meknes the center of his empire and built many of the monuments that remain today.
Moulay Ismail was a tough guy: he used 25, 000 captives to build the city's massive ramparts and monumental entrance gates as well as stalls for his 12,000 horses. His tomb is one of the most beautiful monuments in Morocco and one of the few religious buildings that non-Muslims can enter.
The souqs (markets) of Meknes are small in comparison to those of Fez. There are a few covered streets where you find leather, djellaba's, carpets and silver. In an hour or two you can see most of the nice shops.
Also visit the Bab Mansour and the Museum of Moroccan Arts (in the Bab Jamai).
Roman ruins of Volubilis (Oualili in Arabic and Berber) are near by: This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a short trip from Meknes. It is possible to go cheaply by grand taxi (via the town of Moulay Idriss, also worth a visit). Take the opportunity to wander around Volubilis at your own pace, as this is a fabulous site and probably one of the main (perhaps even only) reasons to visit Meknes.
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General Shopping
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. 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...more
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