Oct 15 2024 43 mins
Today we visit the imperial city of Meknes, which has a prominent place in Morocco's history and culture, particularly as it relates to the Alaouite Dynasty, who continue to reign as the ruling family of Morocco today.
In the mid-17th Century, sultan Moulay Isma'il chose Meknes as his capital. Over the next 50 years, he rebuilt the city on a monumental scale, fitting of a new, imperial city.
The end of Moulay Isma'il's reign however, in 1727, led to a competition for power, and eventually Meknes lost its status of imperial capital, which moved back to Fes. Later, the great Lisbon earthquake of 1755 also hit northern Morocco very hard, causing damage in Meknes that further undermined its status and prestige.
Our episode today features an excerpt from the walking tour Sam and Azdean did in Meknes last summer. We had a fabulous local guide, Abdellatif, who spoke excellent English and had a deep knowledge of history and detail throughout the old city. Be sure to request him if you have Meknes in your Morocco tour itinerary, fingers crossed he will be available!
Abdellatif tells us about the interconnected nature of the medina, which contains more than 10,000 houses. He tells us the history of the Mellah, and how although the population has dwindled, these days Jewish ancestors come back to retrace ancient footsteps.
We explore the Bab el Khamis, one of the monumental entrances to the medina, decorated with intricate calligraphy. Abdellatif translates it for us and explains why it's called the "happy gate."
We then visit the mausoleum of Moulay Isma'il, which includes a mosque, prayer space, madrassa and library.
Then, a bonus: we head up the road 30 minutes to the Roman city of Volubilis.
Ruled by Rome from the 1st century AD until around 285, Volubilis is one of the most extensive Roman ruins outside of Europe.
Our infamous earthquake of 1755 toppled most of what was left, with the stone and marble looted and taken to Meknes. Within 100 years people had all but forgotten where Volubilis even was.
Fortunately, archeologists rediscovered it in the late 19th century, and today Volubilis is an important site that gives a detailed glimpse into Roman life, 2000 years ago.
When you visit, a local guide will be available to interpret the ruins, without whom you would only see stacks of rock and stones.
Khalid was our guide in Volubilis, and he describes the architecture, mosaics, olive presses and more with fine detail and precision.
We'll be doing more episodes on Meknes and Volubilis coming up soon, to give you more ideas that you can add to your itinerary, and history to look for when you come visit.
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