History
The Berber tribe of the Meknassis (hence the name Meknès) first settled here in the 10th
century. Under the Almohads and Merenids, Meknès’ medina was expanded and some of the
city’s oldest remaining monuments were built.
It wasn’t until the 17th century that Meknès really came into its own. The founder of the
Alawite dynasty, Moulay ar-Rashid, died in 1672. His successor and brother, Moulay Ismail,
made Meknès his capital, from where he would reign for 55 years.
Ismail endowed the city with 25km of imposing walls with monumental gates and an
enormous palace complex that was never completed. That he could devote the time and
resources to construction was partly due to his uncommon success in subduing all opposition in
Morocco and keeping foreign meddlers at bay, mainly because of his notorious Black Guard (
Click here ).
Ismail’s death in 1727 also struck the death knell for Meknès. The town resumed its role as a
backwater, as his grandson Mohammed III (1757–90) moved to Marrakesh. The 1755
earthquake that devastated Lisbon also dealt Meknès a heavy blow. As so often happened in
Morocco, its monuments were subsequently stripped in order to be added to buildings
elsewhere. It’s only been in the past few decades, as tourist potential has become obvious,
that any serious restoration attempts have taken place.
In 1912 the arrival of the protectorate revived Meknès as the French made it their military
headquarters. The army was accompanied by French farmers who settled on the fertile land
nearby. After independence most properties were recovered by the Moroccan government and
leased to local farmers.