Must-see attractions in Middle Atlas

  • x-default

    Volubilis

    Middle Atlas

    Sitting in the middle of a fertile plain, the ruined Roman city of Volubilis is the best-preserved archaeological site in Morocco. Its most amazing…

  • Meknes, Meknes, Morocco, North Africa, Africa

    Bab El Mansour

    Meknes

    The focus of Place El Hedim is this huge gate, perhaps the grandest of all imperial Moroccan gateways. The gate is well preserved, if a bit dulled by soot…

  • Gouffre de Friouato

    Tazekka National Park

    More than 20m wide and 230m deep, the Gouffre de Friouato is said to be the deepest cavern in North Africa, and the cave system is possibly the most…

  • Ben Danan Synagogue

    Fez

    Built in the 17th century to serve the megorashim (Jews descended from those expelled from Spain), this synagogue is trimmed in pretty herringbone green…

  • Jnan Sbil

    Fez

    These lush gardens are a breath of fresh air after the intensity of Fez's medina, and a good walking route between Bab Bou Jeloud and the mellah (Jewish…

  • Grande & Petite Terrasses

    Moulay Idriss Zerhoun

    These lofty medina vantage points provide stunning views over Moulay Idriss and the green-roofed mausoleum. The Grande Terrasse is broader and better for…

  • Jewish cemetery in Fes, Morocco, North Africa

    Jewish Cemetery

    Fez

    This area of thousands of blindingly white tombs, all freshly painted in 2019, was established in 1883. You'll find the tombs of a few notables, such as…

  • Heri es-Souani, an ancient grain container, Meknes, Morocco; Shutterstock ID 32782828; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: BiT 2019 destination page update

    Heri Es Souani

    Meknes

    Moulay Ismail considered this early-18th-century complex one of his finest architectural projects, and on paper it's a marvel. The massive, thick-walled,…

  • Gorges d’Aouli

    Midelt

    A drive through this spectacular gorge, following the river along a badly degraded road from Midelt, is truly breathtaking. Past the first abandoned…

  • Medersa Bou Inania

    Meknes

    Opposite the Grande Mosquée, this religious school, completed in 1358, is typical of the exquisite Merinid interior design. Although it is not as lavish…

  • Oum Er Rbia Springs

    Middle Atlas

    Several dozen fresh- and salt-water (brine) springs emerge from the rocks to form a series of waterfalls at Oum Er Rbia, and the river cascades down the…

  • x-default

    Place El Hedim

    Meknes

    Cleared by Moulay Ismail so his populace could better admire Bab El Mansour, this square is the social heart of the medina, and it really livens up at…

  • MEKNES, MOROCCO - FEBRUARY 29, 2016: Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail interior in Meknes in Morocco. Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail is a tomb and mosque located in the Morocco city of Meknes.; Shutterstock ID 421915627; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Day in Meknes article

    Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail

    Meknes

    Closed since 2016 for a massive renovation, the final resting place of the sultan who made Meknes his capital in the 17th century is ordinarily a must-see…

  • Fes, Royal Palace, Ville Nouvelle.

    Royal Palace

    Fez

    Unless you have a special invitation to the palace grounds, you'll have to settle for admiring its seven imposing front gates, surrounded by fine tilework…

  • Fez - view tombs of 5 Merenid

    Merinid Tombs

    Fez

    These 14th-century tombs are in a dramatic, advanced state of ruin. The real draw is the spectacular views over Fez and the mountains to the north. At…

  • American Fondouk

    Fez

    This nonprofit organisation, established in 1927, is dedicated to giving the working donkeys, mules and horses of the Fez medina a better life, with…

  • Dar Jamaï Museum

    Meknes

    On the north side of Place El Hedim, this museum was under renovation at last visit, with a possible reopening in 2020. Built in 1882 by the powerful…

  • Art Naji

    Fez

    If you're interested in how Fez's beautiful pottery and tiles are made, head to Ain Nokbi, a district just outside the medina where potters were relocated…

  • Mellah

    Fez

    In 1438 Sultan Ar Rashid created Morocco's first official Jewish district, just east of the royal palace. At its peak, some 250,000 Jews lived in the area…

  • Moudmame

    Middle Atlas

    If you're desperate to see Azrou's furry famed locals, it's a piece of cake – just outside town, Moudmame (meaning 'hawthorn') is a popular forest picnic…

  • Koubbat As Sufara

    Meknes

    Moulay Ismail's reception hall for foreign ambassadors is a lovely show of zellige (patterned tile) work. It's here that Unesco officially inscribed…

  • Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss

    Moulay Idriss Zerhoun

    The Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss is Morocco's most important pilgrimage site, and the town is swamped every August during the annual moussem to venerate it;…

  • Dayet Aoua

    Middle Atlas

    Dayet Aoua is surrounded by woodlands in an area notably rich in bird life. The lake is a popular picnic destination for families on weekends, but during…

  • Toumliline Monastery

    Middle Atlas

    The ruins of this Benedictine monastery on the edge of the forest is a little eerie. The monks left in 1980; only the church and a troop of monkeys…

  • Borj Nord

    Fez

    Sultan Ahmed Al Mansour built this fortress in 1582 to monitor the populace of Fez. Modelled on Italian forts, the building holds a display of European…

  • Agdal Basin

    Meknes

    Adjacent to the Heri Es Souani lies an enormous stone-lined lake, the Agdal Basin, built in the 18th century as both a reservoir for Moulay Ismail's…

  • Palais Al Mansour

    Meknes

    Moulay Ismail's summer palace, built in the countryside in the 17th century, now sits in the middle of the urban fabric of Meknes – there's even a…

  • Mausoleum of Sidi Ben Aïssa

    Meknes

    Known as Cheikh El Kamel for his perfection in learning, Sidi Ben Aïssa (1465–1526) inspired the Aïssawa Sufi brotherhood, widely followed in North Africa…

  • Place Lalla Aouda

    Meknes

    South of Bab El Mansour lies this public garden and car park that's a popular place with local families in the evening – less raucous than Place El Hedim,…

  • Stone Lion

    Ifrane

    Ifrane’s landmark is the stone lion that sits on a patch of grass near the Hôtel Chamonix. It was carved by a German soldier during WWII, when Ifrane was…

  • Grande Mosquée

    Middle Atlas

    Not far from Bab Er Rih, and visible over the top of the houses, is the Grande Mosquée, which the Almohads began building in 1135 before they conquered…

  • Bab Er Rih

    Middle Atlas

    The most interesting section of Taza Haute's fortified wall is around Bab Er Rih, from where there are superb views over the surrounding countryside. Look…

  • Musée de Meknès

    Meknes

    Housed in the peeling old tribunal building in the imperial city walls, this small museum is long overdue for a refresh, but while the larger Dar Jamaï…

  • Fez Medina

    Fez

    The largest car-free urban area in the world, Fez El Bali (Old Fez) is a warren of twisting lanes and centuries-old monuments and mosques. As well…

  • Guigou Sheep Souq

    Middle Atlas

    Just over the Guigou River east of the town are the showgrounds that host the livestock market on Sunday mornings. Come early to watch men test-riding…

  • Cèdre de Gouraud

    Middle Atlas

    A spot for viewing Barbary macaques similar to Moudmame, this area has a large car park, picnic tables, toilets and an enormous dead cedar tree. There are…

  • Cylindrical Minaret

    Moulay Idriss Zerhoun

    The only cylindrical minaret in Morocco is found at the Sentissi Mosque. Built in 1939, it is covered in pretty green zellige (colourful geometric mosaic…

  • Bastion

    Middle Atlas

    Taza Haute's bastion, where the medina walls jut out to the east, was added to the 12th-century fortifications 400 years later by the Saadians, but it's…

  • Roman Baths

    Moulay Idriss Zerhoun

    The Roman Baths have a small circular pool that sometimes has water in it. When it does, it's often full of boys and young men, and women visitors might…

  • Rue des Mérinides

    Fez

    The most architecturally impressive street in the mellah (Jewish quarter) is Rue des Mérinides, lined with houses that are distinguished by their wooden…

    • placement: fullWidth
    • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
    • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [300, 250], [320, 50], [1, 1],
    • targeting:
      {
        "position": "superzone"
      }