Meknes

Meknes is the nearest city to Volubilis and a hidden gem off the tourist track . 

She used to be the Capital of Morocco in the 1670s-1700s under the reign of Moulay Ismaïl . Now, Moulay Ismail was a pretty interesting King and better known as the "Warrior King". He fought the Ottoman Turks for Morocco independence, had 10,000 heads of slain enemy adorning his city walls, and fathered 867 children. He also made an offer of marriage to the French King Louis XIV's daughter Marie Anne but was refused. I wonder if all the children were his. 

As an imperial city, Meknes has her fair share of historical monuments and sites. It was also here where we had THE best Moroccan meal. Although the markets here sell a more limited range of goods, the prices are much cheaper in comparison to Fez and Marrakesh.

Our first stop was the royal stables, Moulay Ismail was a horse fanatic and owned 12,000 of them. That is probably the equivalent of keeping 50 Ferrari on the road in our time. Check out the lake where the horses get their water from.

Royal Stables

Earthy peeling walls, black lampposts and fluttering red.  

Next stop, Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail. I love that W and I were often the only ones at these historical sites. The tranquility of the place is really amazing. There is no exhibit or furniture within, just the remains of the building fixtures (i.e tiles, stairs, doors) and 1001-arabian- nights ambience for you to soak up. 20mins is more than sufficient to cover the place as the area is pretty small. Below photos are the highlights of the Mausoleum. 

 #1: Details

Gold studs against red reminds me of Bejing palace doors

 #2: Hanging rusty lamps 

 #3: Repetitive patterns

Islam forbids human imagery. Art & design often come in the form of tessellations, evoking a sense of balance and harmony. 

This is taken at the main area (Central of Mausoleum) There is a small space carved out like this at each corner of the room...I wonder what is this used for...

Sundial

#5: Arch

How about a round of golf at Royal Golf de Meknes? Snuck in and loitered around. 

Golf Course

Lunch at Collier de la Colombe (67, rue Driba, via Bab Mansour and P. Lalla Aouda, Ville Nouvelle, Meknes) where they are famous for their pastilla. This was probably the best meal we had in Morocco. So good that I was tempted to lug the tagine pot (it weights tons) home to recreate this dish in Singapore. 

There are cooking classes but I didnt have time to go for it. I was lucky to make Moroccan friends during my studies at France and they taught me how to make the tagine dish. Will blog about that recipe another time. For those interested in cooking classes,  you could try the Savor Morocco Cooking School-USD65 per pax. 

Here is how the second floor of the restaurant looks like.

Views of the City from the Terrace.

W was sad that lunch was coming to an end. He wanted to order more but the Voice of Reason warned him about the perils of a burgeoning belly. 

We were pretty hungry and only remembered to take photos halfway through our meal. From Left to Right:

-Harira (Tomato and Lentil soup): This was really good. The soup was thick and the chunks of tomato & meat really adds texture to it. It was sour in a warm-tingly & appetizing kinda way but not too overpowering. This is the kinda soup you will want to drink during winter next to the fireplace and then proceed to eat a beef stew. Pure bliss.

-Pigeon Pie: W ordered this and swore it was the best thing he had in Morocco. The pie was crusty and hot, the meat sweet and tender (it actually tasted abit like chicken).  However, everytime I see pigeons in Morocco, I cant help thinking of this dish. Its probably a psychological thing but I prefer to eat commonly-accepted-reared-for-eating kinda animals (i.e chicken, beef) and it has to be served in an abstract form (i.e cut-up in chunks). I hate going to those Chinese restaurants where they serve the duck together with the head. My mum says that if the head faces you, it is supposed to represent good fortunes. Its so haunting to eat from the animal carcass when its eyes are staring at you!

-Lemon Chicken Tagine:  This dish stole my heart. The blend of lemon, olives and spices gives the sauce a very unique flavor. The chicken was really soft and moist cos it was heated in the claypot for a super long time. I love tagines. 

-Sugared Orange: Ordinary. I guess I am spoilt rotten by Singapore's huge selection of fruits. The Americans at the next table were very impressed by the super freshness of these fruits though.

-Pastries: Ordinary. I prefer pastries to be fragrant/smooth/moist made with the likes of coconut milk and pandan leaves (think Perenakan and Thailand deserts) as opposed to dry & crunchy. The typical Moroccan pastry contains peanut. 

Off to see the Bab Mansour next. There is a sad story behind this gate. Legend has it that when it was completed, King Moulay Ismail asked the architect whether he could have done a better job. Thinking that it was a trick question, the architect answered yes. He was promptly executed.

Next, we went to the Meknes Medina (Market) located 5 mins distance from Bab Mansour.  I didnt buy anything cos I was a cheapo backpacking and didn't want to add unnecessary weight. The medina sells traditional Moroccan clothes for day to day wear, fruits, vegetables, bilgha (Moroccan shoes) and rugs. The prices here are definitely cheaper compared to Fez and Marrakesh although you get less variety.