Bab Mansour

The grandest gate in Morocco, built to announce the power of Sultan Moulay Ismail. The horseshoe arch rises nearly 15 meters; the decoration — green and white zellige, carved stucco, Quranic inscriptions — covers every surface not needed for the passage through. Moulay Ismail moved Morocco's capital from Fes to Meknes in the 17th century and spent fifty years building a city to rival Versailles. The gate was completed after his death, named for the Christian slave (a convert named Mansour) who designed it. The gate faces Place el-Hedim, an open square that serves as Meknes's gathering place. The contrast is intentional: empty space, then overwhelming decoration. The gate no longer opens; you walk through a smaller door cut into the wall beside it. Best time: Morning (light on the zellige) Allow: 30 minutes Combine with: Moulay Ismail Mausoleum and Heri es-Souani