Meknes

Meknes has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa) with continental influences. Its climate is similar to some areas of southern Spain and inland southern Portugal. The temperatures shifts from cool in winter to hot days in the summer months of June–September. Afternoon temperatures generally rise 10–14 °C above the low on most days. The winter highs typically reach only 15.5 °C (59.9 °F) in December–January, whereas night temperatures average 5 °C (41 °F). (see weather-table below).

It rarely snows in Meknes.

Meknes is the seat of the prefecture of Meknès, which consists of 6 municipalities (including the city Meknes) and 15 rural communes.[11]

Aerial view of the northern part of the medina of Meknes.

• Volubilis This site is one of the most famous sites in Meknes. It is a site of Roman construction. It is located on a hill where tourists can see the spread out countryside and also see the pieces of the once tall and grandeur Roman villa. Many artifacts from this site are also located in the Rabat's Archaeology Museum but the floors of the villas remain at the original site.
• Dar El Makhzen palace, located in El Mechouar Stinia. It is sided by a 2 km-long corridor formed by two large walls. It was Moulay Ismaïl's official palace.[12]
• Bab al-Mansour gate, named after the architect, El-Mansour. It was completed 5 years after Moulay Ismail's death, in 1732. The design of the gate plays with Almohad patterns. It has zellij mosaics of excellent quality. The marble columns were taken from the Roman ruins of Volubilis. When the structure was completed, Moulay Ismail inspected the gate, asking El-Mansur if he could do better. El-Mansur felt compelled to answer yes, making the sultan so furious he had him executed. Still, according to historical records, the gate was finished after Moulay Ismail's death. The gate itself is now used as an arts and crafts gallery; entry is by a side gate. This is the main gate between the Medina and Imperial City of Meknes. It is designed with Almohad patterns and some of Volubilis's columns were taken apart to build the wall.
• Lahboul gardens. It houses a zoological garden and an open-air theatre.
• Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, built in 1703 by Ahmed Eddahbi
• Koubat Al Khayatin ("Ambassador's Hall"): a pavilion in which sultan Moulay Ismaïl received foreign ambassadors.
• Bab El Khemis: a large decorated gate from the 17th century.
• Bab Berdaïne: a majestic gate built by Moulay Ismaïl in the 17th century.
• Dar El Beida, a 19th-century palace built by sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah. It is currently home to the Royal Military Academy.
• Royal stables
• Agdal reservoir, built by Moulay Ismail. It measures 319 x 149 meters, with a depth of 2 m.
• Cara subterranean prison.

The ruins of the Roman town of Volubilis (Oualili), another UNESCO World Heritage Site are about half an hour to the north.

• 
  Bab Berdaine Gate built in the 17th century.
• 
  Bab El Khemis Gate, built in 1673, near the quarter of Riad and Mellah.
• 
  Bab Mansour Gate, its building finished in 1732
• 
  Dar El Makhzen royal palace.
• 
  Sahrij Swani.
• 
  View of Volubilis, an ancient Roman site in the region of Meknès.

Some of the historic mosques in Meknes include:

The Grand Mosque of Meknes covers about 3,500 square meters and was founded in the 12th century by the Almoravids.[13] It has 11 gates and 143 arcades, a very old and historic library was established by the Marinids. The Grand Mosque is situated in front of the Madrasa Bou Inania.

Panoramic view inside the Grand Mosque in May 2016

Minaret of Nejarrine Mosque.

Néjjarine Mosque built in the 11th century by Almoravids, located in the old medina. Actually the mosque is closed due to some maintenance work.

This is a very old mosque, built during the reign of Sultan Moulay Ismaïl in the 17th century.

Established by the Marinid sultan Abu al-Hasan and construction was completed by his son Abu Inan in 1345.[14]

• 
  Medresa Bou Inania in Meknes.
• 
  Inside the Medresa Bou Inania in Meknes.

This tower was built in the 17th century as a part of the Ismailian walls built by Sultan Moulay Ismaïl. Since 2003 this tower holds the museum of pottery.

Borj Belkari tower. Built in the 17th century.

Inside the museum of pottery in Borj Belkari tower, Meknes.

The Museum houses pottery collections of the Rif and the anterior Rif regions arranged in both chronological and thematic groupings and the fabrication procedures of Rif pottery from the prehistoric period to the present.

The visit starts on the right of the entrance with archaeological ceramic finds in order to better appreciate the current pottery in the museum. It finishes with a reconstruction of a pottery workshop.

The permanent collection is composed of pre historic, vintage and Islamic pottery, and of pottery from different geographical zones of Morocco.

The first section presents the history of the ceramics of the Rif and the pre-Rif periods distributed in three halls. The visitor has the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the characteristics of prehistoric ceramics, through the observation of several shapes, modelled or crafted and enriched with decoration.

A second hall displays the pottery of ceramics that date back to the pre-Islamic period, and a third hall houses Islamic ceramics, especially green ceramics.

As for the second section, it is entirely devoted to the current and old workshops of pottery.the pottery and ceramic pottery comes from five regions (Zerhoun and Meknes, Oued Laou, Ouazzane and Sless, Kariat Ba Mohamed and Tsoul), are displayed.[15]

A December 2015 World Bank report classified Meknes as one of the three most competitive cities in Africa.[16] Two of those three competitive African cities are Moroccan: Meknes and Tangier.

Meknes is considered to be the capital of agriculture in Morocco. And the Saïss plain is one of the most fertile and rich plains in Morocco and Meknes is the centre of this plain. [17]

This image shows the geographical structure of the Saïss plain around Meknes area in Morocco.

Each year Meknes holds the International Agriculture Show in Morocco(French: Salon International de l'Agriculture au Maroc) since April 2006. This agriculture show has an area of more than 250000 square meters, with more than 60 countries participating, and more than 1200 exhibitors.[18] The lands around Meknes area are known to be fertile and productive. The high elevation, fertility and the fresh water of those lands favor the cultivation of fruits and vegetables, most notably: peaches, nectarines, prunes, apples, potatoes, onions and garlic. Meknes is also known for its olives and olive oil. Livestock raising, particularly sheep and cattle, is widespread. Meknes has large industrial units for milk and dairy production that fulfill the most of the needs of the region.

Industry in Meknes is of light type, most of it is related to food processing especially in the Commune of Mejjat, and chemical and para-chemical industry in other industrial zones like the Agropolis industrial and agribusiness zone. Add to those the textile and metallic manufacturing which are old industries in the city. The year 2016 marks a new era of new industry in the city of Meknes, it includes electrical wire, embedded systems, and automotive parts production companies.

Agropolis is Morocco's first competitive. cluster dedicated to agribusiness. Its unique geographical location in central Morocco, together with its agricultural potential, makes it an attractive, rapidly developing platform. Agropolis welcomes investors in a first-class environment offering infrastructure that meets international norms as well as a wide range of real estate services, notably equipped plots of land and delegated management possibilities at competitive rates. Meknes Agropolis is the ideal ecosystem to implement a project focused on agribusiness, logistical activities and marketing, packaging units, tertiary activities, training and R&D.[19]

The first phase of the project has a land surface of 130 ha. The Agropolis Zone is 12 km from Meknes and 2.5 hours drive from Casablanca. Casablanca Port is 246 km far from Agropolis and Tanger-Med Port is 382 km away.

Most of the services products in Meknes are related to Tourism due to the history of the old city district -Meknes Médina-. Of Morocco's four Imperial Cities, Meknes is possibly the least well-known – not as large as Rabat, as fashionable as Marrakech, or as famous as Fez – and you might say that this is to its advantage as you will find this historic place quieter and more laid back than its sister cities. It is an enchanting place to visit, with winding narrow streets, a classic medina and grand buildings that hail back to its time as the capital of Morocco. Nearby are the Roman ruins of Volubis and the tomb of Moulay Idriss – two of the most important historical sites in the kingdom. But Meknes is also a modern, lively city with a vibrant nightlife, plenty of bars and a welcoming attitude towards visitors.[20]

The geographical location of the city of Meknes makes it one of the important transport hubs in Morocco. The city is accessed via the A2 expressway with two exits, one to the east of the city and another to the west.

Two train stations are located in the new city district (French: Ville Nouvelle) of Meknes, with trains each hour to the east, west, and north of Morocco. Operated by ONCF, the following table lists destinations reachable via Meknes railway stations (round-trips):

As mentioned above, Meknes city has two train stations, and their names are: Meknes Railway Station (French: Gare de Meknès) and Meknes Amir Abdul Qadir Railway Station (French: Gare de Meknès Amir Abdelkader). All the mentioned trains cited in the previous table stop by the former station; and except the first row of the table, all the remaining trains stop by the latter station.

The nearest airport is Fes-Saïss Airport (IATA: FEZ, ICAO: GMFF) accessible only by road transport.

Otherwise, Mohammed V Airport in Casablanca, with more international flights and destinations, is conveniently accessible by train.

Public transport in Meknes is managed by the urban commune and it consists of:

• A large network of buses that cover all the area of the prefecture, and even outside of the prefecture like the line 16 to El Hajeb.
• Taxis in the city exist in two types: small taxis with 3 places Max that work with fares system; and bigger taxis with 6 places Max that have a predetermined trajectory and fixed prices.

Meknes is twinned with:

• Nîmes, France, since 2005[21]
• Cenon, France, since 2017[22]
• Tulkarm, Palestine, since 2017[23]