Not far away from the Place Lahdim of Meknès you can find the Mausolée de Moulay Ismaïl, a large mausoleum integrated into a mosque. Typically, these religious places are not accessible for non-muslims, but in Meknès this is different: you can take off your shoes and have a look at the mosque and into the burial chamber. Both are lovely decorated in ceramics and marble with an Andalusian-style fountain as the centerpiece. The mosque itself is actually in use and the two open spaces inside the complex are used for open-air prayer as well.
Moulay Ismaïl was reigning at Morocco between 1672–1727 and he shifted the capital city from Fès to Meknès. He was the second ruler of the Alawi dynasty and a blood-thirsty one, torturing, taking European Christians as slaves, building out the military by massive slavery for being able to negotiate at eyes height with the European countries. At least he was the first to unity the country.
Mausolée de Moulay Ismaïl
Meknès
Morocco
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