Ville Nouvelle (City Center)

A mile to the east of Lahdim Square, the Ville Nouvelle (new city) was built by the French beginning in the early 20th century. Meknes`s modern-day city center is markedly different compared to Dar Kebira or the Imperial City, with business and residential skyscrapers dotting the skyline. Avenue Mohammed V is one of the showcase streets in the Ville Nouvelle, laid out in the French style with trees lining the wide avenue. There are accommodation and restaurant options located throughout the district, which is roughly bounded by Avenue Benghazi to the west, Avenue Allal Al Fassi to the east, Avenue des Forces Armées Royales to the south, and Avenue Hassan I to the north. Many of these options are clustered around Avenue Mohammed V and around Al Amir Abdul Kader train station (especially to the east of the station).

Dar Kebira (Medina)

The Dar Kebira neighborhood is named for the Dar Kebira Palace, built for Sultan Moulay Ismail in the late seventeenth century. The Dar Kebira neighborhood is also referred to as the Medina, with the Dar Kebira Palace being one of Sultan Moulay Ismail`s five palaces that were located in Meknes`s Medina. The area is situated on the opposite side of the Boulevard Circulaire from the Ville Nouvelle, between the Forêt des Jeunes and the Muslim Cemetery, stretching from Bab Berdieyinne to the north down to the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail and Dar Kebira Palace.

Meknes`s main square, Lahdim Square, is one of the best-known points of interest in the Dar Kebira neighborhood, and many of the accommodation options offered in this neighborhood by TripMasters are located in the streets that fan out to the north and northeast from the square. There are also quite a few restaurants and cafés on and around Lahdim Square, so this is a great place to start and end your journey.

Additional sights that are located in this area are the Dar Jamai Museum, the Great Mosque, the Bou Inania Madrasa, Lahboul Zoo, the Marché Couvert, the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, Place Lalla Aouda, Kara Prison, and of course Dar Kebira Palace. The widest street, also one of the most-traveled in this area, is Rue Dar Smen, which runs past Lahdim Square, Place Lalla Aouda, the Meknes Museum, and other sights.