Meknès, Volubilis and Fez

We set off early this morning to visit two UNESCO World Heritage sites. First, we visited the medieval city of Meknès, which served as Morocco’s imperial capital in the 17th century. It was built by Sultan Moulay Ismail who, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, fathered 888 children — the highest number of offspring for anyone throughout history that can be verified.

Our visit began with a tour of Dar Jamai: The National Museum of Music. From there we carried on to Bab Mansour historic landmark, and 18th-century Bab El Khmiss, the
ornamental gate to the city. We also walked the narrow streets of the Medina.

Next, we drove to Volubilis to see the
soaring columns and preserved mosaic floors of this ancient Roman outpost. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.

Our final visit for the day was to AFER Association for lunch. AFER benefits rural Moroccan women and children who are facing challenges from divorce, disability or being widowed.

The association provides literacy and vocational training, health
services, disability assistance, and the operation of a local ambulance. AFER’s training center hosts culinary programs and each year graduates 30 students. We met the founder and some of the beneficiaries. AFER is supported by G Adventures, the Toronto-based tour company with which we’re travelling. An inspiring visit.

We drove on to Fez, checked into our hotel and took a little walk around the neighbourhood. We’ll explore the city tomorrow.Read more