Riad Hiba Meknes

Christian Prison

by Doctor38

This is a 7 Hectare underground hall. Its huge and impressive. It was used a prison and a storage space. The place is huge. There are 3 tunnels heading towards Fes, Mouly Idress and Middle Atlas mountain.

Dar Aljamee museum

by Doctor38

This house was built in 1882 by the Prime Minister Mohammed Aljamai. He never got to live in it as he had to relocate to Fes to be next to his nephew king Hassan the first. His brother actually lived in this house until the death of the King Hassan I. Moulay Abdul Aziz who ruled Morocco after the death of his father wasn't very kind to Aljamai brothers (his grand uncles) he imprisoned them in Tetouan and toke over their possessions. This building was used by the French as a hospital in the 1916 (St Lois Hospital) and then used as a governmental building, followed by fine art school and finally into a museum.

The house is very impressive. It has few furnished rooms, a neglected garden, in addition to a collection of display of ceramics, jewellery and the like. The museum is located to the north of Place Elhadem. It will cost you 10 DH to enter. Visiting daily from 9-12 and 3-6 daily closed on Tuesday. Photography not allowed but the house was empty so I was able to take 5 pictures

Meknes

by grets

"The Versailles of Morocco"

When Moulay Ismail beame Sultan of Morocco in 1672, he moved his capital to Meknes, from where he ruled the country for 55 years.

Moulay Ismail's excesses were notorious. 500 women served him and of the many hundred children he fathered, he had the girls strangled at birth and was known to slice off the limbs of any son who did not behave!

He built a 25km long wall around the city as part of his grand plan. 30,000 Sudanese soldiers were gathered together as a 'peace-keeping force' - roaming the country to ensure the sultan's control was felt.

Back in Meknes, 25,000 slaves were employed to construct palaces, walls and fortresses. When the salves died they were used as building material for the walls, their blood mixed in with the cement.

In total there were 30 royal palaces, 20 gates, mosques, barracks and ornamental gardens. Meknes remained one of the four great Imperial Cities until his son took over the reign in 1727 and destroyed a number of buildings.