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Meknes

Northern Africa

Meknes is one of Morocco's four Imperial cities, in the north-central part of the country and the sixth largest by population in the kingdom, with 551,503 residents recorded in the 2024 Moroccan census. The Almoravids founded it in the 11th century as a military settlement, and it became the capital of Morocco under Sultan Ismail Ibn Sharif, who ruled from 1672 to 1727 as son of the founder of the Alaouite dynasty; Sultan Ismail built a massive imperial palace complex and endowed the city with extensive fortifications and monumental gates. Meknes is today the seat of Meknes Prefecture and an important economic hub within the Fes-Meknes region.

Facts
Population
551,503 1
City commune population per the 2024 census. The same census also recorded a combined legal population of 695,662 for Meknes together with the adjoining municipalities of Al Machouar-Stinia, Toulal and Ouislane; that wider agglomeration figure is not used here.
Area (sq km)
370 1
Founding Year
1001 to 1100 1
Population Estimate Year
2024 1
Elevation (m)
546 1
Latitude
33.895 degrees north 1
Longitude
5.554722 degrees west 1
FAQs

What ancient site lies near Meknes?

Volubilis is a major Roman-era site near the site of present Meknes.

The Roman-era settlement of Volubilis lies near Meknes. It was a major settlement in Morocco and one of the country's early urban centres, and it is located near the site of the current city.
Sources
1. Meknes (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • MediaWiki API prop=coordinates for Meknes
    "lat":33.895,"lon":-5.55472222,"primary":true,"globe":"earth"
  • Infobox: elevation_m
    546
  • Infobox: area_total_km2
    370
  • lead extract, closing sentence
    The city recorded a population of 551,503 in the 2024 Moroccan census.
  • lead extract: census year
    The city recorded a population of 551,503 in the 2024 Moroccan census.
  • Lead section
    Founded in the 11th century by the Almoravids as a military settlement, Meknes became the capital of Morocco during the reign of Sultan Ismail Ibn Sharif (1672-1727), son of the founder of the Alaouite dynasty.
  • Lead paragraph
    Founded in the 11th century by the Almoravids as a military settlement, Meknes became the capital of Morocco during the reign of Sultan Ismail Ibn Sharif (1672-1727), son of the founder of the Alaouite dynasty.
  • In Group: Cities of Northern Africa (World), Wikipedia; part-of country and UN M49 subregion
View the Source
Wikidata: Meknes
Wikidata Q178663, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
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