Meknes is a short drive across the Saiss Plain from Fez, and about a third of the way from Fez to Rabat. Like both these cities, Meknes has served as capital of Morocco and was transformed by a 17th Century sultan, Moulay Ismail. Moulay Ismail was a magnificent builder and undertook huge works at Meknes (he was also notoriously brutal, campaigning ceaselessly against other tribes, killing a reputed 30,00 people in battle and allegedly interring underperforming slaves in the walls of Meknes during their construction).
A tour of the city will focus largely on the works of Moulay Ismail, from the grand and imposing Bab Mansour gate, to his vast granaries and storerooms (restored to showcase their complex engineering), and his shrine (completed in his lifetime).
