Day 4: Chefchaouen – Volubilis – Meknes – Fes
A joyful day starts from your accommodation (riad/hotel). After your Moroccan breakfast, drive forward to Ouazzane via the Rif Mountains. These mountains belong to the Alboran Sea geological region. The Rif Mountains are not part of the Atlas Mountains System. After an hour and a half of driving through Rif Mountains curves, we reach another northern town called Ouazzane. The city is well-known throughout the Islamic world as a spiritual capital, and it was home to many of the pillars of Sufism, and it was also known as the “House of Safety”. Thus, Ouazzane was the Holy City of Moroccan Jews. They made pilgrimages there to venerate the tombs of Moroccan Saints (Marabouts). Therefore, Ouazzane was a substantial city to supply a base for the French Army in 1926. After a couple of hours drive, we will get to the best Roman ruins in Morocco is Volubilis, the well preserved Roman empire dating to 225 BC, Volubilis is by far the most important Roman settlement in Morocco, and best-preserved and having been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.
In addition to that, Volubilis is where you will see the most beautiful mosaics in Morocco, dating back to the 3rd century BC. Here you will have a guided tour of the site and learn a lot about the Roman Empire. After that, we travel to Meknes, the Ismaili capital of Morocco, which refers to Sultan Moulay Ismail, who is the builder of the city, Meknes, where we will have lunch and explore Meknes. Meknes is well known as one of the fourth imperial cities of Morocco, founded by the Almoravid dynasty in the 11th century, it is located in the north, where it has a strategic position in the heart of the country. In Meknes, you will visit many sights, for example, the big gate of Bab Mansour, designed by Sultan Moulay Ismail in the bustling Lahdim square. Also, you will walk or drive to our coming site, Habs Qara “Qara Prison”, built in an underground labyrinth that could host thousands of inmates. Likewise, visiting Sahrij Swani once served as a water reservoir in times of drought and siege. Built by Louis XIV’s contemporary, Moulay Ismail, this ornamental lake was once surrounded by tall ramparts much ruined by an 18th-century earthquake. Then later, visit the granary store of Moulay Ismail “Heri Essouani” was a large grain storage facility at that time; you will find a distinguished system of high-vaulted chambers with a series of storerooms and granaries. In Moulay Ismail’s time, these used to hold provisions in the case of a drought or a siege. In the evening, we will continue our journey to the spiritual city of Fes, where we have two nights there.