We have breakfast in the hotel, then board our bus and head for Meknès, the Versailles of Morocco. The drive takes us through a rich agricultural region where we see cork trees, olive trees, citrus groves, cereal crops, and grapes, all of which provide the economic backbone of the city. The area is characteristically Berber (the original nomadic inhabitants of Morocco) and gives Meknès the feel of a small town rather than a big city. Many of the residents ride donkeys piled high with grasses, grains and various farm products. We see women selling milk, eggs and olive oil by the side of the road. Lunch is at the Palais Terrab restaurant. Some friends of Phil and Marian’s who teach at the University Al Akhouine in Ifrane, are meeting us here and will visit for a couple of hours. They exchange gossip and gifts, and eventually decide that our group should try to visit the university on Saturday, time permitting. Regrettably, this was not to be. (We were unable to get past the guard at the gate, since no classes were in session that day).
After lunch, Martha and I decide to walk around the area. We head off in one direction and get about 20 feet before hearing Larbi’s frantic call to return to the group. He explained that it is not always safe to explore on your own. Since we seemed determined to walk after of our huge lunch, Abdoul, the bus driver’s helper, is assigned to escort us. We traverse a 4-square-block area and observe a few local shops and houses. As we pass some of the houses, Martha decides to photograph the mail slots for the postal section of her photo journal. Abdoul mistakenly thought that she wanted to have a picture of a post office, and he tries to tell us this was NOT where letters are mailed! There was no way for us to explain the purpose of the photos, and so we just laughed about the language barrier and the many humorous situations it can produce. Eventually everyone returns to the bus to continue our tour of the Imperial City of Meknès and surrounding areas.
Our first stop is the Heri-es-Souani granaries and stables. We enter the granaries walking past the Agoudal Basin, which was being reconstructed at the time. The basin is a 10-acre reservoir built near the Imperial Palace by Moulay Ismail. It was used to water the sultan’s gardens and as a pleasure lake. It also provided the city’s water supply in times of war. Prior to this trip, I had done some reading about Meknès, and its founder. Sultan Moulay Ismail fascinated me. He is considered one of the greatest figures in Moroccan history and provides a vivid example of megalomania. Everything he did was on a massive scale! His cruelty and brutality were legendary, yet he managed to get the entire country united under his control and ruled for 55 years (1672-1727). He marked his assent to power by sending the heads of 10,000 slain enemies to be displayed on the walls of Fès and Marrakech. He is reputed to have slain 30,000 with his own hand! When he chose Meknès for his capital, he decided to rebuild the entire city. A slave army of 55,000 was used to construct the enormous project. There are 5 miles of subterranean vaults, said to have housed these captives, who labored for many years. He surrounded the city with 25 miles of triple ramparts incorporating monumental gates, towers, and bastions. Much of the marble building material was taken from Volubilis (a 2nd century Roman ruins). He maintained a 150,000-man army, including a core of 16,000 slaves called the Black Guard. He had 12,000 horses and a network of 76 fortresses. The vast stables and granaries once used as warehouses for food stocks as well as for stores of hay and grain for the horses dwarf us. It is estimated that these granaries, if full, could have fed the entire population of Meknès for 20 years! In addition to granaries and stables, Moulay Ismail built mosques, kasbahs, palaces and gardens, including an ostrich park. He kept a 500-strong harem and had 800 children. His excesses were not only his life but also his legacy. And here it is, all laid out in front of us. I remain fascinated!
We next visit the less expansive, more contemporary, Hara’s Stables to see some wonderful Arabian horses. Both racing champions and breeding stock are housed here. The attendant took much pride in showing us his favorite stallion, and was careful to point out the identifying tattoo inside the horse’s lip. Then we are off again to see the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail. Non-Muslims are allowed entrance into the antechamber but not the sanctuary. This antechamber, or ablutions room, contains a marble fountain and a beautiful bronze chandelier. Twelve marble pillars taken from Volubilis support the interior cupola. Larbi seats himself inside the mihrab (a shallow niche in the wall) and tells us about the history and architecture of our surroundings. As he talks, I see in him the mirror image of all imams who teach and pray daily in mosques throughout the Islamic world.
Our next stop is the Bab El Mansour – one of the most beautiful gates in Morocco and the last architectural project of Moulay Ismail. This gate truly lives up to its reputation for beauty and size. It has 3 tiled archways incorporating 2 marble columns, brought from Volubilis. Across from the gate is the central square of the medina and marketplace. We briefly tour some of the souks (shops) in this area. The scope and variety of the items for sale is amazing. Especially enticing for me are the mounds of colorful olives. My mouth watered just looking at them, since I am an olive-lover practically from birth!
Back on the bus, we drive to see the Bab Berdaïne (Pack Saddlers gate), which is the northernmost entrance of the medina. We take some photos and continue on to the Holy City of Moulay Idriss. This is the site of a yearly pilgrimage, or hadj, for Moroccans. Moulay Idriss, the great-grandson of the prophet Mohammed, is venerated as a holy man and the founder of the country’s first imperial dynasty. His shrine and mausoleum are located here. However, non-Muslims are not allowed to enter. We stopped just inside the city where Larbi and some of our group walked a little uphill to view the outside of the shrine. Since my foot was bothering me, I decided to stay in the bus. Larbi spotted a mailman and Martha ran after him, trying to get a photo. All she managed was a shot from the back, but this was her first opportunity to see the mail being delivered in Morocco. Through the bus window, I watched two men working on an old car outside what appeared to be an auto repair shop. From here, we went to the Hotel Volubilis for dinner and overnight. Our room had a great view of the Roman ruins, which we will tour the following day.