Day 244 : Day Trip to Meknes

We were informed by the owners of the Riad that shops are closed within the Medina on Fridays, and we were advised to hire a driver and take a road trip towards Meknes and visit some of the other nearby attractions along the way, such as Volubilis and Moulay Idriss.  So we got the owners to make arrangements yesterday night for our day trip out.

We woke up and headed downstairs to have our breakfast that was included with our accommodation, before heading out.  What a spread!!!  This is perhaps the largest breakfast spread I had so far on my whole trip! 

All the various types of bread and pastries, and as much as we tried to give each of the item a try, we were completely stuffed before we could savour every single item on the table.  We thanked the owners and headed towards the Blue Gate to meet our driver.

Meknes is located about 1 hour from Fes, and while driving towards the attractions we were very surprised how much greenery there was along the way.  This is definitely not the kind of Africa that I am acquainted with!  Isn’t it supposed to be filled with much barren land with little agriculture?!?

We made a quick pitstop along the way of a beautiful coloured lagoon in the plateau, before making our way to Volubilis.

Volubilis

Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is an archeological site situated near Meknes, and features the best preserved Berber Roman ruins in northern Africa. 

As we entered the main entrance, a few guys walked up to us and asked if we wanted a guide.  Not interested in a guided tour, we declined, and made our way along the various ruins, and mimic-ed what we thought a guide would say at each main site. 

The ruins was very spread out, and took us a good 1hr to complete walking most parts of the way.  At one point, we took a long pause as we watched in amazement the grandeur of the storks and how they had made their home on top one of the ruin beams.

 

Moulay Idriss

The town Moulay Idriss is named after the King, who first brought with him the Islam religion and started a new dynasty.  Moulay Idriss also initiated the construction of Fez, which was later continued by his son, Moulay Idriss II.

Meknes

After a few pitstops, we finally arrived at Meknes, and just in time for lunch!

Our driver dropped us off at the carpark, and we walked towards the main square which was lined with a number of restaurants.  After browsing the menus and crowd at each restaurant, we finally chose to settle at one, where we ordered a portion of mixed kebab grill and a portion of tagine.

After lunch, we roamed the streets of Meknes, and found that many of the street shops were also closed because it was a Friday.  We slowly made our way to another attraction in Meknes, which was the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail.

Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail

Most of the Mausoleums and mosques in Morocco are sacred and prohibits non-Muslims from entering.  This was one of the rare few around where non-Muslims are allowed entry, and it sure was grand!

Betty & I spent some time walking around the interiors, appreciated the architecture (special doorways, huge foyer grounds and intricate carvings), and took some amazing pictures.

 

Merenid Tombs

After leaving Meknes, we made our way back towards Fes, with a final stop at the Merenid Tombs.  The Merenid Tombs are a few giant tombs on the hill above Fes, possibly housing royalty or personages of importance. 

The main reason for our final stop at the Merenid Tombs was not to visit the tombs, but rather we were told that from this hill, we will get an amazing view of the ancient 1,200 year old medina below.  And it was true!  The view of expansive!

Dinner

After a whole day out, we decided to grab a quick dinner before heading back to our Riad. 

As we walked though the Medina on the way back, we were caught by the fragrant smell of grilled kebabs and decided to stop at one for dinner.

Yum!

And for dessert? 

We found a cake shop selling some interesting and beautifully decorated pastries and bought some back to our Riad to have with a cup of hot mint tea. 

Ahh.. this is heaven!