7 Best Sights in Fez and the Middle Atlas, Morocco

Looming over the Place el-Hedim, this huge, horseshoe-shape triumphal arch is widely considered to be North Africa's most beautiful gate, 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."

The Royal Granaries were one of Moulay Ismail's greatest achievements during his reign, designed to store grain to feed his 10,000 horses for up to 20 years. To keep the grain from rotting, the granaries were kept cool by thick walls, hanging gardens, and an underground cistern with water ducts powered by donkeys. Behind the granaries are the ruins of the royal stables, where around 1,200 purebreds were kept. To the left of the door out to the stables, notice the symmetry of the stables' pillars from three different perspectives. Acoustically perfect, the site is now often used for concerts. The adjacent Agdal Basin served as a both a vast reservoir for the gardens and a lake. It's 2 km (1 mile) south of Moulay Ismail's mausoleum, so take a petit taxi in hot weather.

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.

Closed for renovation at the time of writing, this 19th-century palace sits on the north side of the Place el-Hedim and houses a museum of Moroccan arts, with an outstanding collection of carpets, jewelry, ceramics, needlework, and woodwork. 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).

Closed at the time of writing, the green-tiled pavilion of Koubbat as-Sufara is where Moulay Ismail received ambassadors from abroad; the stairs to the right of the entrance lead down to the Habs Qara, immense subterranean slave quarters, built by an imprisoned Portuguese architect to earn his freedom. Here up to 60,000 enslaved people (of whom 40,000 were reportedly Christian prisoners of war) were shackled to the wall and forced to labor on the sultan's building projects.

The mausoleum of Sultan Moulay Ismail, who died in 1727, is a beautiful structure with deep ocher-hue walls inside that lead to a private sanctuary, on the left, heavily decorated with colorful geometric zellij tiling. At the end of the larger inner courtyard is the sacred chamber with his tomb, surrounded by hand-carved cedar-and-stucco walls, intricate mosaics, and a central fountain. The mausoleum was closed at the time of writing, but check for reopening.  Non-Muslim visitors are allowed in to the first courtyards but not the tomb. 

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.