The deep blue of the desert sky, filled with cumulous clouds hang over the city of Meknes, which if Sultan Moulay Ismail had fulfilled his dream, would be known and viewed as the Versailles of Morocco. Alas, that was never to be, despite Ismail’s keen interest in architecture and building. He was a tyrant, and tyrants rarely get what they want and are never viewed in a good light historically.

 

We stepped off the train in Meknes’s Ville Nouvelle, the part of the city the French built in the early 20th century (much like they did in Fez, and equally uninspiring). A gorge divides Meknes with the Ville Nouvelle on one side and the Medina (Old City) on the other side. After the sweltering, but serene train ride through the desert, we decided to skip the taxi to the Medina and walk to the smallest of the four Moroccan Imperial Cities. It’s a 20 minute walk, and about 15 minutes in I was beginning to regret our decision as the sun continue to beat down on us. However, we arrived at the Medina right before it got to be too much.

 

We entered the old city through the famed Bab el-Mansour Gates, which get its name from its designer – El-Mansour, a Christian renegade who embrace Islam. There’s curious story about the construction of these gates that my guide told me, about how the tyrannical Moulay Ismail had the architect beheaded after completing the gates to the sultan’s dissatisfaction. However, historical record proves different; just one of the mysterious facts that Moroccans can’t prove or disprove, and you decide to believe the legend (as it’s always more interesting that the truth).

 

El-Hdim is the Medina’s main square, and that’s where we started our exploration. It’s very similar to what you will see in Marrekesh, only smaller, perhaps quainter, but that doesn’t mean its lacking energy and excitement. One of the things that fascinate me about North African culture is the street performers aren’t like they are in Europe or America, looking for a quick buck, but are out there to truly entertain the inhabitants of Meknes. We couldn’t decide if we wanted to go to the souqs (the shops) or head over to the Imperial Palace. So we sat down at a café to have a mint tea to rehydrate ourselves… and have some kebabs (this kind of “street food” filled my gullet with ease and great taste) to hash it out. After a two out of three game of Rock, Paper, Scissors, we took off to the Imperial Palace. The Meknes’s Medina is such a compelling blend of European and North African/Islamic design elements that it’s on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. So my Leica M7 was out and snapping pictures continually. I use a rangefinder camera like a Leica, because it allows me to hold the camera down by my belt and basically take clandestine photos, which is kind of invaluable in North Africa.

 

When walking the sun-baked streets of Meknes, you can’t help but feel that the city is missing a third of its inhabitants. However, that’s not the case, as you’ll find that Meknes – in light of its stunning royal palace – feels and is pretty vacant. Sultan Moulay Ismail wanted Meknes to rival any European capital in opulence, decadence and design. In his great, but futile effort, Moulay’s minions kidnapped tens of thousand Christians from Europe and forced them into slave labor to complete his egomaniacal constructions. As we wandered around the Medina, we wondered about that and the odd taint it perhaps left on the city.

 

We traipsed around the city fairly quickly, as we knew it was only going to be a day-trip really, (which is why we didn’t secure a hotel, but would have if we did want to use Meknes as a way station for a deeper, longer foray into the Moroccan countryside or investigate the city at a more leisurely pace). We wanted to be wowed like we were in Fez or Marrakesh… the only wow is the actual imperial palace, where the uniquely vertiginous and resplendent mosaic work will marvel you with it’s complex elegance. Strolling on the vast corridors, I couldn’t help but think about Sultan Moulay has his best laid plans… that never came to pass.

 

Meknes’s Grand Mosque is stunning, but being non-Muslim, we weren’t allowed to go inside (like every mosque in Morocco); but it’s worth it to see the main gate, which is intricately and opulently (almost decadent) decorated. We were able to get better bargains on the copper goods, tapestries and silver items from the shopkeeps here in Meknes than in Fez or Marrekesh, and we headed back across the gorge when the sun was setting with some souvenirs that will make great conversation pieces back in the States.

 

© 2009 Chris Derrick