Meknes

Each day when dusk sets in over Meknes, the sun’s last hurrah dances across the city’s Imperial gateway, Bab El Mansour. For a few lingering minutes, the hulking gate burns like Saharan sand in front of a local audience clutching shopping bags rather than cameras. Tourists are few and far between. Lacking the vast medieval medina of neighbouring Fez or the burgeoning fusion scene of Marrakesh, this imperial city’s lineage as a one-time capital of Morocco hasn’t helped secure it a spot on many travel itineraries.

Situated in the north of the country, Meknes sees fewer visitors than the iconic cities of Fez and Marrakesh. However, it is one of Morocco’s four imperial cities, boasting historic medina walls and beautiful Moorish architecture. Visitors can explore ruins and museums that allude to the city’s 11th-century foundation and its years as the capital of the Moroccan sultanate. Moreover, modern attractions include authentic riads and an excellent culinary scene.