South of Bab El Mansour lies this public garden and car park that's a popular place with local families in the evening – less raucous than Place El Hedim, and with more places to sit. In the past it was the parade ground where Moulay Ismail once inspected his famed Black Guard, which started with some 16,000 enslaved men from sub-Saharan Africa. By the time of his death, the guard had expanded tenfold and had chased out both European and Ottoman troops.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
12.31 MILES
Sitting in the middle of a fertile plain, the ruined Roman city of Volubilis is the best-preserved archaeological site in Morocco. Its most amazing…
0.08 MILES
The focus of Place El Hedim is this huge gate, perhaps the grandest of all imperial Moroccan gateways. The gate is well preserved, if a bit dulled by soot…
0.21 MILES
Opposite the Grande Mosquée, this religious school, completed in 1358, is typical of the exquisite Merinid interior design. Although it is not as lavish…
0.15 MILES
Cleared by Moulay Ismail so his populace could better admire Bab El Mansour, this square is the social heart of the medina, and it really livens up at…
0.13 MILES
Closed since 2016 for a massive renovation, the final resting place of the sultan who made Meknes his capital in the 17th century is ordinarily a must-see…
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0.2 MILES
On the north side of Place El Hedim, this museum was under renovation at last visit, with a possible reopening in 2020. Built in 1882 by the powerful…
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11.4 MILES
The Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss is Morocco's most important pilgrimage site, and the town is swamped every August during the annual moussem to venerate it;…
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1.66 MILES
Moulay Ismail's summer palace, built in the countryside in the 17th century, now sits in the middle of the urban fabric of Meknes – there's even a…
Nearby Meknes attractions
0.05 MILES
Housed in the peeling old tribunal building in the imperial city walls, this small museum is long overdue for a refresh, but while the larger Dar Jamaï…
0.08 MILES
The focus of Place El Hedim is this huge gate, perhaps the grandest of all imperial Moroccan gateways. The gate is well preserved, if a bit dulled by soot…
0.13 MILES
Closed since 2016 for a massive renovation, the final resting place of the sultan who made Meknes his capital in the 17th century is ordinarily a must-see…
0.15 MILES
Cleared by Moulay Ismail so his populace could better admire Bab El Mansour, this square is the social heart of the medina, and it really livens up at…
0.15 MILES
Moulay Ismail's reception hall for foreign ambassadors is a lovely show of zellige (patterned tile) work. It's here that Unesco officially inscribed…
0.2 MILES
On the north side of Place El Hedim, this museum was under renovation at last visit, with a possible reopening in 2020. Built in 1882 by the powerful…
0.21 MILES
Opposite the Grande Mosquée, this religious school, completed in 1358, is typical of the exquisite Merinid interior design. Although it is not as lavish…
0.29 MILES
These gardens just outside the medina were being renovated on the last visit. When finished, they should be a tranquil place to stroll after a busy…