Meknes مكناس (Maknas)
Meknes was the seat of one of the most important rulers of Morocco, the sultan Moulay Ismail.
Overview
Meknes is the smallest imperial city in Morocco (the other ones being Marrakech, Rabat and Fes), with over a half million inhabitants. The city is made of two distinct parts: the medina with the imperial city and ville nouvelle (the new town), each one on its own hill, divided by a small river.
All the important and magnificent historical buildings, along with more than 24 km (15 mi) of city walls in Meknes have been built by the sultan Moulay Ismail (the current king, Mohammed VI, is his descendant), one of the most important rulers in the history of Morocco. Meknes is the centre of a rich agricultural region: oranges, lemons, olives and vineyards are all over its surroundings. That being said, once you have seen all the monuments in Meknes, there isn't much left to do.