Things To Do in Meknes

As far as sheer size and choice are concerned, the souks of Meknes's medina don't match up to others in Morocco. What they do offer, however, is a relatively hassle-free shopping experience. Browsing the area to the north of place el Hedim can be both enjoyable and rewarding. Carpets and babouches especially are of high quality and reasonable price here, and make sure to seek out the one true specialty of Meknes -- souvenirs decorated with silver damascene. The souks are open daily from 9am to late, sometimes closing for midday prayers and lunch on Friday.

For fresh produce and flowers, go to the Central Marché on the north side of avenue Hassan II, between rue Tetouan and rue Omar Ibn Aïss, in the ville nouvelle. Fodassi Mini-Marché is opposite the market's entrance on rue Omar Ibn Aïss and sells everyday grocery items, toiletries, and alcohol. It's open Monday to Saturday 8am to 6pm and Sunday noon to 6pm. The modern Label' Vie supermarket is on a below-ground level of the Label' Gallery shopping center, corner of avenue Moulay Youssef and boulevard Ibn Khaldoune, in the ville nouvelle. It's open daily 9am to 9pm. Signposted on the road between the Meknes-Fes toll highway and the city is Marjane Hypermarket (tel. 0535/520385), open daily from 9am to 9pm.

Covered Market (Marché Couvert) -- Along the west side of place el Hedim is the medina's covered market, which is an attack of the senses. Under this one roof are olive stalls, herboristes, pet shops, spice sellers, butchers, live chickens, and confectionery stalls. The shops between the covered market and place el Hedim sell a good range of pottery, musical instruments, and souvenirs.

Silver Damascene -- Kissaria Lahrir is the traditional souk for silver damascene work. Thin, silver threads are slowly tapped into designs on pieces of steel and then attached to all forms of pottery. It's a delicate art that is sadly beginning to die away as consumer tastes have turned away from this style of decoration. There are, however, a few shops in the Kissaria to the southeast of Bouinania Medersa that continue on with the craft. Abderrazak el Bettani's L'Art des Villes Imperiales, 2 Derb Hammam, between place Lalla Aouda and rue Palais (tel. 0535/553740), is below Restaurant Salma and has a good selection of jewelry, souvenirs, and pottery decorated in silver damascene. Most of the figurines -- elephants, antelope, peacocks, horses, lions, kangaroo -- are painted black so that the silver damascene stands out.

Souk es Sebbat -- The area behind the Dar Jamaï Museum on place el Hedim is where you'll find the best babouches in Meknes. Each tall, narrow stall has row upon row of colored babouches -- pointed and yellow for men and petite and multicolored for women. Expect to pay around 150dh for a quality, handmade pair.

Souk Joutiya es Zerabi -- Just west of Souk es Sebbat is the carpet souk. Here you'll find carpets from Middle Atlas cooperatives. The quality is quite high -- 360,000 double knots per square meter (11 sq. ft.) and up to 8 months' work for one woman to produce a 1.8 x 2.8m (6 x 9-ft.) carpet.

Meknes is sadly lacking when it comes to offering modern and friendly -- especially for females -- entertainment once the sun sets. In the medina there is the mini Jemaa el Fna spectacle on place el Hedim. Apart from this, you can usually enjoy a wine (the waiters will sometimes ask you to order a salad or similar to accompany it) on the terrace of Le Collier de la Colombe, with its sweeping view of the ville nouvelle at night. At the main roundabout connecting the medina and ville nouvelle is a newly terraced and landscaped garden that is floodlit at night and has quickly become the place for women and children to while away the early evening hours.

There are quite a few bars in the ville nouvelle, especially near place Ifriquia on avenue Hassan II, and along avenue Allal ben Abdallah, although they are all men-only and decidedly seedy. At the southern end of the pedestrian-only section of rue de Paris is Novelty (tel. 0535/521885). Formerly a bit of a dive, in 2006 Novelty was purchased by an elderly Italian gent who has cleaned the place up and added some nice tables and draft beer. It's now very female-friendly, offers free tapas, and is an enjoyable stop for a late-night drink. Novelty is open Monday to Saturday noon to 11pm.

Close by is Le Pub, which besides its fine restaurant is a very popular watering hole. The ground-floor bar is well stocked, has satellite sports TV, and a few tables, bar stools, and a salon to choose from. Downstairs is a smoky -- from both cigarettes and shisha pipes -- bar and lounge that starts filling up late each night with Meknassi men and women coming for a bit of live Moroccan music. It's open daily noon to midnight.

Other choices are limited to hotel bars, of which the Hotel Rif, on the west end of rue Accra (tel. 0535/522591), is usually liveliest with cheap beers, free snacks, and comfortable seats. During the warmer months, treat yourself to an expensive beer (50dh) in the garden of the otherwise overrated Hotel Transatlantique, rue el Merinyne (tel. 0535/525050), in the ville nouvelle. The expansive, shaded grounds at the rear of the property give a sweeping view of the medina and are a pleasant place to spend a couple of hours. Kids will love the large, green lawns; take their swimsuits and ask the staff if the kids can have a swim in one of the hotel's two pools.

If your French is up to par, call the Institut Français, on the corner of avenue Moulay Ismail and rue Ferhat Hachad (tel. 0535/515851; fax 0535/510170; www.ambafrance-ma.org). They have a monthly calendar of cultural events such as movies, plays, concerts, lectures, and exhibitions.