!!!Meknes

Photos by [Stanislav Sedov|http://rccam.livejournal.com] and
[Sergey Shandin|https://www.facebook.com/sergey.shandin],
members of the [AirPano Team|Geography/About/Consortium/AirPano,_Team] that is a member of the [global-geography Consortium|Geography/About/Consortium]. \\

29 July 2020

with kind permission of [AirPano|http://www.AirPano.com]

Meknes, Morocco

The history of Morocco counts four capital cities: Fez, Marrakesh, Rabat
and Meknes. The latter one functioned as the imperial capital only for a
short time, between 1673 and 1727, but it was the period of being
Morocco's "Versailles". Nowadays it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and
this AirPano virtual tour is focused on this unique place.

[{Image src='01_Meknes.jpg' caption='Medina. Meknes, Morocco\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false'}]

The first settlement was founded here in the 8th century under the name
Kasbah, "the fortress". Two centuries later, the town was captured by
the Berber tribe of Miknasa which gave the place its name. In the 11th
century, the Almoravid dynasty turned Meknes into a military settlement.
It became the capital of Morocco under the reign of the Alaouite
dynasty. One of its sultan, Moulay Ismail Ibn Sharif, turned Meknes into
an impressive city with gorgeous buildings, thus making Meknes a genuine
architectural wonder.

Like many other ancient cities of Morocco, Meknes is divided into
Médina, the historic centre, and a modern part of the city. Wishing to
protect the city from the Berbers, Moulay Ismail Ibn Sharif ordered to
surround Médina with a wall of 10 km in length. The gate erected in this
wall, Bab al-Mansour, is considered the most beautiful gate in Morocco.

[{Image src='02_Meknes.jpg' caption='Medina. Meknes, Morocco\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false'}]

El Hedim Square is the heart of Médina. In the days of the legendary
sultan, it was used as the site for the announcement of Amiri decrees
and public executions. Now it is a popular recreational place for
citizens and tourists.

[{Image src='03_Meknes.jpg' caption='Medina. Meknes, Morocco\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false'}]

Another square of the historical part of the city is Place Lalla Aouda
that is famous for its large royal mosque: here is the mausoleum of
Moulay Ismail Ibn Sharif. The ruler initially planned to build it while
he was still alive and invited the best craftsmen to make it. That's how
this building became not only a tomb but a remarkable example of Islamic
architecture and design. The courtyard is decorated with mosaics,
carvings and fountains; the floor is covered by sumptuous carpets and at
the back of the hall you can find the genealogical tree of the Alaouite
dynasty. The mausoleum is a rare sacred place in Morocco that is open
for all people regardless of their religion.

[{Image src='04_Meknes.jpg' caption='Lalla Aouda Square. Meknes, Morocco\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false'}]

Close to Lalla Aouda and mausoleum, there is another extraordinary
building complex, Koubat Al Khayatin: a pavilion in which sultan Moulay
Ismail received foreign ambassadors. Just below it, there is the
subterranean prison Qara from which, as rumour has it, no one had ever
returned. These structures, like many other buildings in Meknes, were
intended to demonstrate majesty and glory of Morocco.

[{Image src='05_Meknes.jpg' caption='Meknes, Morocco\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false'}]

At the southern border of Médina, we find the majestic complex of Heri
es-Souani. Granaries, stables and a water pond cover a total area of 1.4
hectares. Comparing to other historical buildings of Médina, this
complex does not feature ornamental details as the initial goal was to
create a reliable and safe place; and the architectures did so. The
building being 180 meters long and 70 meters wide could hold a five-year
stock of grain for an army. And thanks to the walls being 4 meters
thick, the temperature never rose higher than 18°C even in the hottest
days.

[{Image src='06_Meknes.jpg' caption='The royal stables of Heri es-Souani\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false'}]

Stables to around 12,000 horses and camels were built at the back of
this complex. Nowadays it looks like a "forest" of pillars and arches:
the roof was gradually destroyed by the time or earthquakes. And
finally, the water reservoir with dimensions of 300 ? 140 meters and 3
meters of depth not only supplied the city with water but was also a
recreational spot for well-off people and a training pool for warriors.
These and many other pieces of evidence of the past were united by
UNESCO into one site as the Historic City of Meknes.

Once in Morocco, we couldn't miss the opportunity to visit some natural
areas, and in Africa, it is the desert. In the south-east of the
country, there is Erg Chebbi, one of the two largest ergs in Sahara.

[{Image src='07_Meknes.jpg' caption='Erg Chebbi desert near Merzouga at sunset\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false'}]

Erg is the Arabic word for huge dune fields in northern Africa. It is
the area of dunes and barchans with little or no vegetative cover. Erg
Chebbi spans an area of 22 kilometres from north to south and 5
kilometres from east to west. It has found itself amidst a flat rocky
desert with its sand constantly moving. Smaller dunes migrate along the
flanks of the larger dunes and sand ridges, some of them are getting 150
meters tall! Colourful accumulations of bright orange sand are extremely
beautiful.

Get acquainted with Morocco, its ancient history and silent song of the
desert.

\\ \\
[8 panoramas of Meknes|Geography/Africa/Morocco/Pictures/Meknes]

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