Meknes City
el-Hadim Square & Bab al-Mansour
Meknes city was once an imperial city in Morocco.It still has many buildings which point to it’s glorious past. el-Hedim Square is an open space which is the social heart of the medina. It is busy all the time but it really livens up at night. Families come out to stroll, snack at the cafes, play football and listen to musicians. On one side of the this square, magnificent Bab al-Mansour sits.
Bab Mansour was actually the last important construction project ordered by Sultan Moulay Ismail. This enormous gate was completed by Sultan Moulay Ismail’s son, Moulay Abdallah, in 1732. This gate not only served its purpose as part of the city defensive system but also as an elaborate homage to sultan himself. The architect behind the great masterpiece was a Christian convert to Islam named Mansour Laalejwho sought to ascend in the sultan’s court. Hence the name of the gate is al-Mansour after him.
Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail
Habs Kara Prison, is a large underground prison beneath the streets of Meknes. One would walk at the top without knowing that people were kept underneath their feet.The chamber is reported to have been a place where up to 60,000 prisoners, including Christian prisoners of war, and slaves were kept.
Moulay Ismail is still considered to have been one of the nation’s greatest leaders. He became sultan at the age of 27 and served Morocco between 1672 – 1727. His mausoleum has beautiful inner courtyards lead through to stunning inner chambers with detailed designs. The wall and floor tiles carved wood, arches, colonnades, high ceilings, and symmetry are some of the characteristics of the building.
Royal Stables
Much of the palace was destroyed in the powerful Lisbon earthquake of 1755. Luckily, a small part of the palace’s grandeur lives on in the incredible Royal Stables of Meknes. The Royal Stables of Meknes used to provide stabling for 12,000 royal horses. Even more incredible, each horse had its own groom and a slave who made sure that all of its needs were met and that its stable was kept extremely clean.
