North Africa Morocco Tunisia Tour (10) "Black Imperial City" - Meknes

North Africa Morocco Tunisia Tour (10) "Black Imperial City" - Meknes Meknes - Fez December 15, 2024 Sunny to cloudy, 4-18°C. After lunch, we went to Meknes for a visit. Meknes, the ancient capital of the Alaouite dynasty, is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco and the sixth largest city in Morocco. It is located on the northern slope of the Middle Atlas Mountains and was built in the 11th century. It reached its peak in the 17th and 18th centuries and was once the capital. It is a holy place of Islam and an important industrial and commercial center. The area also preserves many historical sites such as Roman relics. Meknes is called the Black City because the powerful army established by the ruler at that time was composed entirely of black slaves, so it was called the Black Imperial City. The Mansour Gate, which means victory and triumph, is under repair and is not shown in the photo. The legendary emperor Ismail was not only a powerful ruler, but also a prolific father. He had more than 500 wives and concubines of different skin colors, regions, and temperaments, and gave birth to 525 sons and 342 daughters. To this day, no one in the world can match him. The Mausoleum of Ismail is located inside the Mansour Gate (Figure 1), and the carriages used for sightseeing come and go (Figure 2). The mausoleum building, similar to an Islamic mosque, is imposing (Figure 3), and the interior decoration is exquisite and luxurious. The most impressive things are the floor, walls, and dome. Mosaic decorations in various patterns are everywhere, and the colors are bright and dazzling (Figures 4-9). The clothes and crowns of Ismail, his wife, and two daughters are placed in the building. With his death, the entire imperial city fell into ruins and did not prosper until the 20th century. After the visit, we drove for an hour to our eighth stop - Fez.