Meknes
Meknes
مكناس ⴰⵎⴽⵏⴰⵙ Meknès | |
|---|---|
City | |
 Bab Mansour Gate and El Hedime Place | |
 Seal | |
| Nickname: العاصمة الاسماعيلية-مكناسة الزيتون-The Ismaïlian Capital | |
| Country |  Morocco |
| Region | Fès-Meknès |
| Prefecture | Meknès Prefecture |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Abdellah Bouanou[1] |
| • Prefect | Abdelghani Sebbar[2] |
| Elevation | 552 m (1,811 ft) |
| Population (2012) | |
| • Total | 750,000 |
| • Rank | 6th in Morocco |
| Time zone | GMT (UTC±00:00) |
| • Summer (DST) | WEST (UTC+01:00) |
| Postal code | 50000 |
| Website | www.villemeknes.com |
Meknes (French: Meknès; Arabic: مكناس Mknas; Berber: ⴰⵎⴽⵏⴰⵙ Ameknas; Spanish: Mequinez) is a city in northern Morocco and the sixth largest city of the kingdom. Meknès was the capital of Morocco under the reign of Moulay Ismail (1672–1727). The urban population is estimated at 650,000[4] with the metropolitan population close to 1,000,000. It is the capital of Meknès Prefecture. Meknes is named after a Berber tribe which, was known as Miknasa (native Berber name: Imeknasen) in the medieval North African documents.
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Criteria | Cultural: iv |
| Reference | 793 |
| Inscription | 1996 (20th Session) |
History
A Berber tribe called the Miknasa (Imeknasen), originally from the Tunisian south, settled here in the 9th century.
The Almoravids founded a fortress in Meknes during the 11th century. It resisted the Almohads rise, and was thus destroyed by them, only to be rebuilt in a larger size with mosques and large fortifications. Under the Merinids it received further madrasas, kasbahs and mosques in the early 14th century, and continued to thrive under the Wattasid dynasty. Meknes saw its golden age as the imperial capital of Moulay Ismail following his accession to the Sultanate of Morocco (1672–1727). He installed under the old city a large prison to house Christian sailors captured on the sea, and also constructed numerous edifices, gardens, monumental gates, mosques (whence the city's nickname of "City of a Hundred Minarets") and the large line of wall, having a length of 40 kilometres (25 miles).
According to the ICOMOS Heritage at Risk report of 2000, the historic city of Meknes contains insufficient drainage systems, and as a result suffers from inundation and leakage in certain areas.[5]
Geography
Neighboring cities to the south of Meknes: Azrou, connecting via the N13 road, is a cedar region with the noted "College d'Azrou" where many members of the post-independence elite derived); and Ifrane (Al Akhawayn University).
Climate
Meknes has a Mediterranean climate with continental influences. Its climate is similar to that in Sevilla. The temperatures shifts from cool and cold in winter to hot days in the summer months of June–September. The nights, however, are always cool (or colder in winter), with daytime temperatures generally rising 10-14C above the low every day. The winter highs typically reach only 15.5 °C (59.9 °F) in December–January, whereas night temperatures average 3 °C (37 °F). (see weather-table below).
It rarely snows in Meknes.
| Climate data for Meknes (1961–1990, extremes 1919–1993) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 26.9 (80.4) |
28.7 (83.7) |
32.6 (90.7) |
36.4 (97.5) |
40.4 (104.7) |
43.9 (111.0) |
45.2 (113.4) |
46.2 (115.2) |
43.0 (109.4) |
37.7 (99.9) |
36.4 (97.5) |
27.1 (80.8) |
46.2 (115.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 15.3 (59.5) |
16.6 (61.9) |
18.6 (65.5) |
20.0 (68.0) |
23.8 (74.8) |
27.8 (82.0) |
32.7 (90.9) |
32.6 (90.7) |
29.6 (85.3) |
24.5 (76.1) |
19.3 (66.7) |
15.6 (60.1) |
23.0 (73.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 10.2 (50.4) |
11.5 (52.7) |
12.9 (55.2) |
14.4 (57.9) |
17.7 (63.9) |
21.2 (70.2) |
25.2 (77.4) |
25.3 (77.5) |
22.9 (73.2) |
18.7 (65.7) |
14.2 (57.6) |
10.7 (51.3) |
17.1 (62.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 5.2 (41.4) |
6.3 (43.3) |
7.2 (45.0) |
8.8 (47.8) |
11.5 (52.7) |
14.6 (58.3) |
17.7 (63.9) |
17.9 (64.2) |
16.2 (61.2) |
12.8 (55.0) |
9.1 (48.4) |
5.8 (42.4) |
11.1 (52.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −4.2 (24.4) |
−2.6 (27.3) |
−0.8 (30.6) |
0.5 (32.9) |
0.4 (32.7) |
5.2 (41.4) |
7.2 (45.0) |
9.0 (48.2) |
5.0 (41.0) |
2.2 (36.0) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−4.2 (24.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 89.4 (3.52) |
84.4 (3.32) |
78.4 (3.09) |
74.3 (2.93) |
42.6 (1.68) |
12.5 (0.49) |
2.1 (0.08) |
1.9 (0.07) |
14.1 (0.56) |
47.4 (1.87) |
79.6 (3.13) |
81.2 (3.20) |
607.9 (23.93) |
| Average precipitation days | 10.5 | 10.1 | 9.9 | 10.3 | 7.3 | 3.5 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 3.4 | 7.6 | 9.8 | 9.6 | 84.3 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 75 | 78 | 76 | 75 | 72 | 68 | 57 | 57 | 62 | 70 | 72 | 77 | 70 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 174.3 | 176.2 | 226.6 | 236.9 | 283.4 | 305.5 | 347.8 | 328.4 | 264.4 | 227.7 | 176.5 | 165.8 | 2,913.5 |
| Source 1: NOAA[6] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Deutscher Wetterdienst (extremes and humidity)[7] | |||||||||||||
Quarters
Prefecture
Meknes is the seat of the prefecture of Meknès, which consists of 6 municipalities (including the city Meknes) and 15 rural communes.[8]
Main sights
 |
- Dar El Makhzen palace, located in El Mechouar Stinia. It is sided by a 2 km-long corridor formed by two large walls. It was Moulay Ismaïl's official palace.
- Bab Mansour gate, named after the architect, El-Mansour. It was completed 5 years after Moulay Ismail's death, in 1732. The design of the gate plays with Almohad patterns. It has zellij mosaics of excellent quality. The marble columns were taken from the Roman ruins of Volubilis. When the structure was completed, Moulay Ismail inspected the gate, asking El-Mansur if he could do better. El-Mansur felt complied to answer yes, making the sultan so furious he had him executed. Still, according to historical records, the gate was finished after Moulay Ismail's death. The gate itself is now used as an arts and crafts gallery; entry is by a side gate.
- Lahboul gardens. It houses a zoological garden and an open-air theatre.
- Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, built in 1703 by Ahmed Eddahbi
- Néjjarine Mosque (10th century), located in the old city.
- The Grand Mosque, founded in the 11th century by the Almoravids. It has 11 gates and 143 arcades.
- Koubat Al Khayatin ("Ambassador's Hall"): a pavilion in which sultan Moulay Ismaïl received foreign ambassadors.
- Bab Lakhmis: a large decorated gate from the 17th century.
- Bab Berdaïne: a majestic gate built by Moulay Ismaïl in the 17th century.
- Dar El Beida, a 19th-century palace built by sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah. It is currently home to the Royal Military Academy.
- Royal stables
- Agdal reservoir, built by Moulay Ismail. It measures 319 x 149 meters, with a depth of 2 m.
- Cara subterranean prison.
The ruins of the Roman town of Volubilis (Oualili) are about half an hour to the north.
Economy
Meknes is an economical center in Morocco with various products from the three economical sectors(Agriculture, Industry and Services), which makes the city economically competitive and attractive for investments. A December 2015 World Bank report classified Meknes as one of the three most competitive cities in Africa.[9]Two of those three competitive African cities are from Morocco: Meknes and Tangier.
Agriculture
Meknes is considered to be the capital of agriculture in Morocco. Meknes city holds each year the International Agriculture Show in Morocco(French: Salon International de l'Agriculture) since April 2006. This agriculture show has an area of more than 250000 square meters, with more than 60 countries participating, and more than 1200 exhibitors.[10] The lands around Meknes area are known to be fertile and productive. The high elevation, fertility and the fresh water of those lands favor the cultivation of fruits and vegetables, most notably: peach, nectarine, prune, apples; potato, onion and garlic. Also, livestock raising, particularly sheep and cattle is widespread. Meknes has large industrial units for milk production and diary that fulfill the most of the needs of the region.
Industry
There are 171 industrial units in Meknes, employing 10,358 people. The chief industries are food processing, textile manufacturing, chemical and para-chemical industry, and metallic and mechanical industry.
Services
Transport
Road
The geographical location of the city of Meknes makes it one the important transport hubs in Morocco. The city is accessed via the A2 expressway with two exits, one to the east of the city and another to the west.
Rail
Two train stations are located in the new city district(French: Ville Nouvelle) of Meknes, with trains each hour to the east, west, and north of Morocco.
Air
Meknes and its area are served by Saïs Airport (IATA: FEZ, ICAO: GMFF).
Bab Berdieyinne mosque
The Bab Berdieyinne mosque (Arab: بردعين, French: Berdaïne), constructed in the 17th century, is located in the historical city center. On 19 February 2010, its minaret collapsed during Friday prayers, causing at least 41 fatalities and many injuries. The area had received heavy rain over the preceding days. King Mohammed VI ordered the minaret be rebuilt according to historical specifications.[11][12]
International relations
Twin towns – Sister cities
Meknes is twinned with:
References
- ^ "Mayor roles and responsibilities", Meknes Web Site, web: Meknes Web Site
- ^ "Prefect Biography", Meknes Web Site, web: Meknes Web Site
- ^ "Climatological Information for Meknes, Morocco", Hong Kong Observatory, 2003, web: HKO-Meknes.
- ^ Template:Largest cities of Morocco
- ^ ICOMOS Heritage at Risk 2000
- ^ "Meknes Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
- ^ "Klimatafel von Meknès / Marokko" (PDF). Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
- ^ Royaume du Maroc (20 November 2008). "Bulletin Officiel № 5684" (PDF) (in French). p. 1600. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
- ^ "New Report Highlights the World’s Most Competitive Cities", The World Bank, web: World Bank Website
- ^ "International Agriculture Show in Morocco", SIAM, web: SIAM Web Site
- ^ "Minaret collapse kills 36 in Morocco". CNN. 20 February 2010.
- ^ Morocco minaret collapse toll rises to 41, Hindustan Times, 20 February 2010
External links
- MeknesCity Newspaper
Meknes travel guide from Wikivoyage
Capital: Meknes | ||
| Municipalities |  | |
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| Central |
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| Southern |
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