I suppose it should come as no surprise that among the grandest sites to visit in Morocco are the tombs of its former rulers I’ve previously written about the Mausoleum of King Mohammed V in the capital city of Rabat. Today we’ll visit the mausoleum of a different monarch in a different city.
The Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail is one of the main tourist sites in Meknes, one of Morocco’s four Imperial cities. It’s the resting place of an influential Sultan (Moulay Ismail), and is architecturally beautiful. Moulay Ismail was a member of the Alaouite Dynasty and his reign (1672 – 1727) was transformative — expanding, stabilizing and uniting Morocco’s territories. He decided to turning Meknes into a grand capital city (and abandoning Fes in doing so), a process involving the labor of some 50,000 slaves and prisoners. Construction in Meknes included the building of fortified walls, palaces and mosques. Under his influence Meknes earned the nick-name the “Versailles of Morocco.” A bit of interesting trivia, Moulay Ismail was friends with French King Louis XIV.
When you visit Meknes, you can still view much of Moulay’s Ismail’s grand city. The Mausoleum is located within the Palace complex and its construction was overseen by Sultan Ismail himself. It has a blend of Moroccan and Islamic architectural influences. You enter the Mausoleum and approach its inner sanctum via a series of hallways and courtyards (with fountains).
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