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
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