4 Best Sights in The Medina, Fez and the Middle Atlas

Looming over the Place el-Hedim, this huge, horseshoe-shape gate is widely considered to be North Africa's most beautiful, completed in 1732 by a Christian convert to Islam named Mansour Laalej (whose name means "victorious renegade"). The marble Ionic columns supporting the two bastions on either side of the main entry are thought to have been taken from the Roman ruins at Volubilis. The taller Corinthian columns came from Marrakesh's El Badi Palace, part of Moulay Ismail's campaign to erase any vestige of the Saadian dynasty that preceded the Alaouites. Ismail's last important construction project, the gate was conceived as an elaborate homage to himself and the dynasty's strong Muslim orthodoxy, rather than a defensive stronghold—hence its intense decoration of green and white tiles and engraved Koranic panels, now faded with age. The Arabic inscription along the top of the gate reads: "I am the most beautiful gate in Morocco. I’m like the moon in the sky. Property and wealth are written on my front."

After an extensive renovation, this 19th-century palace on the north side of the Place el-Hedim has reopened as the National Museum of Music, showcasing musical instruments and musical styles from around the country in immersive exhibits, with explanations in English, French, and Arabic. Built by a powerful family of viziers (high government officials), the palace itself is stunning, especially the carved-cedar ceilings, interior Andalusian garden, and menzah (pavilion). 

Arguably just as beautiful and more well-preserved than its better-known Fassi namesake, the Meknès version is a showcase for Merenid design; this Islamic educational institution, now a historic site, was finished in 1358. From the cupola to the enormous bronze doors on the street, virtually every inch of this building is covered with decorative carving or calligraphy. The central fountain was for ablutions before prayer. Head upstairs to visit the small rooms that overlook the courtyard. These housed the 60 communal tolba, or student reciters.  The rooftop terrace has one of best panoramic views of Meknès's medina.

Just outside the medina walls, within the confines of an extensive cemetery, is the mosque and mausoleum of one of Morocco's most famous saints, Sidi Mohammed ben Aïssa (aka Cheikh El Kamel, 1467–1526). He founded the legendary Aïssaoua Sufi brotherhood, and each year his followers come from all over North Africa to gather at the shrine at the annual moussem (festival) on the eve of the birth of the prophet Mohammed. The festival date varies with the lunar calendar, but expect processions through Meknès, the brotherhood’s singular music, and ecstatic dances, often imitating animals. Ben Aïssa was said to have made a pact with the animal world and to possess magical powers, such as the ability to transform leaves into gold and silver coins. The brotherhood was once known for such voluntary rituals as swallowing scorpions, broken glass, and poison; members also mutilated themselves with knives in prayer-induced trances.  Entry to the mausoleum is restricted to Muslims.