Meknes, Morocco: Self-Guided Walking Tour

Looking for things to do in Meknes? The city combines an old medina, historic mosques, royal spaces, museums and the lively El Hedim Square, all shaped by Sultan Moulay Ismaïl’s ambitious imperial project. Meknes is a rewarding place to explore at a slower pace, with monuments that reveal both the power of the royal court and the everyday life of a living Moroccan city. Neywo has a free audio guide for Meknes with 8 narrated places.

Meknes belongs to the Fès-Meknès region, created in its present form after Morocco’s administrative reorganization in 2015. Before that change, Meknes was the capital of the former Meknès-Tafilalet region. For a wider view of the country, you can also explore our guide to Morocco.

What to see in Meknes

Bab El-Baradeiyin Mosque

The Bab El-Baradeiyin Mosque, also known as the Bab Berdieyinne Mosque, stands inside Meknes’s historic medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its name comes from the nearby city gate, connecting the mosque to the historic fabric around it.

The building is also associated with a painful event in the city’s recent history. On 19 February 2010, its minaret collapsed during Friday prayers after heavy rain in the preceding days. At least 41 people died and many worshippers were injured. The collapse was described as the worst event of its kind in Morocco.

Meknes Grand Mosque

The Grand Mosque, or Jamaa al Kebir, is the historic main mosque of the medina and one of its oldest monuments. It is Meknes’s Friday mosque, making it the largest and most important mosque in the old city.

Its origins are believed to date to the twelfth century, during the rule of the Almoravid dynasty. Its long history makes it an important stop when exploring Meknes’s religious and architectural heritage.

Dar Jamaï Palace

Dar Jamaï Palace is a late nineteenth-century palace that now houses Dar Jamaï, National Museum of Music. The building was created in 1882 by Mohamed ben Larbi Jamaï, grand vizier to Sultan Moulay Hassan the First. The Jamaï family also built the Jamaï Palace in Fes.

The palace’s Andalusian-style section is especially notable for its zellij-lined passageways and its kiosk for musicians and singers. The collections explore the history and diversity of Moroccan musical traditions, alongside carved and painted wood, architectural woodwork, furniture, traditional clothing and silk belts.

Dar Jamaï has served several purposes over time. It became a military hospital in 1912, then a museum in 1920. After restoration from 2019, it reopened in March 2022 as the National Museum of Music.

El Hedim Square

El Hedim Square is Meknes’s best-known public square and one of the city’s essential places to visit. The broad open space connects the old medina with the imperial city created by Sultan Moulay Ismaïl. It remains a meeting place for residents and visitors.

Moulay Ismaïl laid out the square between 1672 and 1674 to organize the relationship between the royal city, the medina and the surrounding areas. It measures approximately 200 metres by 90 metres, covering about 18,000 square metres.

The name is linked to the demolitions that took place before the Ismaili capital was established. The French expression Place de la Démolition makes this association particularly clear. Today, the square offers a strong sense of Meknes’s imperial scale while remaining part of the city’s everyday life.

Meknes Pottery Museum

The Meknes Pottery Museum occupies Borj Belkari, a seventeenth-century bastion tower built into the defensive walls of Sultan Moulay Ismaïl’s Kasbah. The tower has housed the museum since 2003.

Its collections bring together pottery from the Rif and pre-Rif regions, arranged chronologically and thematically. The displays include prehistoric, ancient and Islamic pottery, with examples from Zerhoun and Meknes, Oued Laou, Ouazzane and Sless, Kariat Ba Mohamed, and Tsoul.

The visit begins with archaeological discoveries and follows the development of pottery across three rooms. The museum also explains the techniques used to make Rif pottery from prehistory to the present day. It ends with a reconstruction of a pottery workshop, giving the collection a practical perspective.

Rabbi Meir Toledano Synagogue

In the Mellah, Meknes’s Jewish quarter, the Rabbi Meir Toledano Synagogue offers a glimpse into the city’s Jewish heritage. This small historic synagogue is closely connected with the story of the Toledano family.

The synagogue was first built in the thirteenth century. A devastating earthquake destroyed it in 1630, after which the Toledano family rebuilt it following their arrival in Meknes. Their name reflects the family’s origin in Toledo.

Borj El Mers

Borj El Mers is another Moroccan cultural heritage site to encounter while exploring Meknes. It forms part of the city’s wider historic landscape, where defensive structures, royal architecture and religious buildings reflect the importance of the former imperial capital.

Explore Meknes with a free audio guide

Download Neywo and take the Moulay Ismaïl’s Meknes: Mosques, Music Palace and Mellah walking tour. The route covers 2.4 km, takes 64 minutes, and includes 6 narrated stops: Bab El-Baradeiyin Mosque, Meknes Grand Mosque, Dar Jamaï Palace, El Hedim Square, Meknes Pottery Museum and the Rabbi Meir Toledano Synagogue.

Neywo has 1 walking tour in Meknes, with stories available in 11 languages. The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, so you can explore at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. If you are continuing through Morocco, compare Meknes with Fes, or discover other destinations such as Rabat and Marrakesh.