| Meknes, Volubilis & Moulay Idriss |
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Meknes is a city in northern Morocco, located 130
kilometres from the capital Rabat and 60
kilometres from Fes. It is served by the A2
expressway between those two cities. Meknes was
the capital of Morocco under the reign of Moulay
Ismail (1672 -- 1727), before it was relocated to
Rabat. The population is 536,322 (2004 census). It
is the capital of the Meknès-Tafilalet region.
The land upon which the city is founded and much
of its surrounding territory came under the
domination of the Roman empire in 117 A.D. (see
History of Morocco). The original community from
which Meknes can be traced was an 8th century
Kasbah, or fortress. A Berber tribe called the
Miknasa settled there in the 10th century, and a
town consequently grew around the fortress. Meknes
saw its golden age as the imperial capital of
Moulay Ismail following his accession to the
Sultanate of Morocco (wikipedia)
Volubilis is an archaeological site in Morocco
situated near Meknes between Fez and Rabat. The
nearest town is Moulay Idriss. Volubilis features
the best preserved excavations in this part of
northern Africa dating from the Roman Empire. In
1997 the site was listed on the UNESCO World
Heritage list.
In antiquity, Volubilis was an important Roman
town situated on the westernmost border of Roman
conquests. It was built about 40 C.E., probably on
the site of a previous Carthaginian settlement
from the 3rd century B.C.E. Volubilis takes its
name from the ancient Latin name for the Oleander
flower, which is common in the area.
Volubilis was the administrative center of the
province in Roman Africa called Mauretania
Tingitana. The fertile lands of the province
produced many goods such as grain and olive oil,
which were exported to Rome, contributing to the
province's wealth and prosperity.
The Romans evacuated most of Morocco at the end of
the 3rd century but, unlike some other Roman
cities, Volubilis was not abandoned. However, it
appears to have been destroyed by an earthquake in
the late fourth century A.D. It was reoccupied in
the sixth century, when a small group of
tombstones written in Latin shows the existence of
a Christian community that still dated its
foundation by the year of the Roman province.
Coins show that it was occupied under the
Abbasids: a number of these simply bear the name
of Walila. The texts referring to the arrival of
Idris I in 788 show that the town was at that
point in the control of the Awraba tribe, who
welcomed the descendent of Ali with open arms, and
declared him imam shortly thereafter. Within three
years he had consolidated his hold on much of the
area, founded the first settlement at Fez , and
started minting coins. He died in 791, leaving a
pregnant Awraba wife, Kenza, and his faithful
slave, Rashid, who acted as regent until the
majority of Idris II. At this point the court
departed for Fez, leaving the Awraba in control of
the town.
The ruins of the town were damaged by the Lisbon
earthquake in 1755, while in the 18th century part
of the marble was taken for constructions in
nearby Meknes.
In 1915, archeological excavation was begun there
by the French. Extensive remains of the Roman town
have been uncovered. From 2000 excavations carried
out by University College, London and the Moroccan
Institut National des Sciences de l'Archéologie
et du Patrimoine under the direction of Elizabeth
Fentress, Gaetano Palumbo and Hassan Limane
revealed what should probably be interpreted as
the headquarters of Idris I just below the walls
of the Roman town to the west. (wikipedia)
VALPARD FILMS http://valpardfilms.free.fr/
Tags : Meknes مكناس Volubilis وليلي‎ Moulay Idriss Maroc Morroco Marokko Marruecos Marrocos المغرب モãƒãƒƒã‚³ 摩洛哥 |
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Affichage : 47517
Durée : 227 s |
| Vista Point MEKNES Morocco |
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VPG-DVD-150 - MEKNES
Meknes is one of Morocco's four royal cities and
became famous due to its megalomaniac monarch,
Sultan Moulay Ismail who is also known as
Morocco's Sun King. The cruel and despotic sultan
made Meknes the mightiest fortified city in North
Africa.
Moulay Ismail had an army of a hundred and fifty
thousand men who were stationed at each of the
country's main strategic points. Included in his
royal household was a harem of six hundred wives
of various races as well as countless children and
a large retinue of African slaves. His former
residence, the Heri and Dar El-Ma Complex,
contained fifty palaces that were divided by way
of gardens, barracks and stables in which there
were twelve thousand horses.
The Medina of Meknes is a World Heritage Site and
contains both medieval and modern architecture.
The old town consists of the Ville Imperiale, the
ruins of the palace complex and also the Medina
with it residential and commercial districts. It
also includes the former Jews Ancien district and
the Nouveau Mellah that is now known as Riad.
The Medersa Bou-Inania is one of the most
important buildings in the Medina. Its courtyard
contains a shell-shaped well that is used for
ritual bathing. The ground marble and alabaster
stuccowork is decorated with objects made with
fine spatulas.
The Great Mosque was founded by the Almohads but
was altered during the time of the Meridis and
provides a close insight into the world of Islam.
The Berber tribe of Meknassa first gave this city
its name but following thousands of years of
dramatic history the former royal city of Meknes
remains an enigma to the present day.
Tags : MEKNES Morocco Heri travel Dar El-Ma Complex Medina Ville Imperiale |
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Affichage : 2079
Durée : 78 s |
| Medina of Meknes |
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The land upon which the city is founded and much
of its surrounding territory came under the
domination of the Roman Empire in 117 AD.
The original community from which Meknes can be
traced was an 8th century Kasbah, or fortress. A
Berber tribe called the Miknasa settled there in
the 10th century, and a town consequently grew
around the fortress.
Meknes saw its golden age as the imperial capital
of Moulay Ismail following his accession to the
Sultanate of Morocco.
Tags : meknes medina morocco |
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Affichage : 4121
Durée : 297 s |
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