Meknes

One of Morocco's four Imperial cities, Meknes rose to prominence under Sultan Ismail Ibn Sharif in the 17th century, who built a vast palace complex and ringed the city with monumental gates and fortifications. Founded by the Almoravids in the 11th century, it sits between the Rif and Middle Atlas mountain ranges and is the nearest large city to the Roman ruins of Volubilis. Today it has a lively restaurant and nightlife scene alongside its historic medina.

• Population568,295
• Nearest water from center0.4 km
• Nearest mountain from center5.7 km
• UNESCO within 50 km2