©Lonely¨Planet¨Publications¨Pty¨Ltd Imperial Cities, Middle Atlas & the East اﻻمبراطوري المدن و اﻷطلس المتوسط و الشرق Why Go? Fez .............................283 If you’re looking for Morocco in microcosm, this region Sefrou . 322 takes the title, running the whole spectrum from imperial cities and ancient ruins to grand mountain vistas and desert Meknès . 324 oases. Volubilis (Oualili) . 335 The fertile plains of the north have acted as Morocco’s Moulay Idriss . 338 breadbasket for centuries. The Romans left remains at Volu- Ifrane . 339 bilis, followed in turn by Muslim dynasties who birthed Mo- Azrou . 342 rocco’s grandest imperial city: Fez. The narrow streets of the Fez medina are a true assault Midelt . 344 on the senses. Meknès, another old imperial capital, offers a Taza . 347 slightly more pocket-sized experience. Oujda . 351 The Middle Atlas mountains, home to the Barbary ape, rise to the south and the area is made for hiking. Across the mountains the distinctive kasbahs of the south begin to make an appearance. The desert isn’t far away, and Best Places to by the time you reach the oasis of Figuig, the olive tree has Eat long given way to the date palm. ¨¨Ruined Garden (p309) ¨¨L’Amandier, Palais Faraj (p310) When to Go ¨¨Marhaba Restaurant Fez (p333) °C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm 40/104 8/200 ¨¨Dar Hatim (p309) ¨¨Hôtel Les Cèdres (p343) 30/86 6/150 20/68 4/100 Best Places to 10/50 2/50 Stay 0/32 0 J F M A M J J A S O N D ¨¨Dar Finn (p303) ¨¨Funky Fes (p303) Apr Perfect Jun Hit Fez for Sep Summer’s spring weather the Festival of heat has burned ¨¨Ryad Bahia (p331) and markets full World Sacred off making for ¨¨Dar Kamal Chaoui (p324) of orange blos- Music. perfect sightsee- ¨¨Ksar Timnay Inter-Cultures som scenting ing conditions. the air. (p345) 282 Strait of Gibraltar M E D I T E R R A N E A N Ceuta (Spain) S E A 0 50 km Tangier 0 30 miles M'Diq Tetouan Martil N16 Oued Laou Bou-Ahmed/Steha Melilla Dar (Spain) Ackoubaa El-Jebha Cala Al-Hoceima Chefchaouen Iris R Nador Kariat i Bab Ajdir Imzouren Arekmane Ras f Berret el-Maa Bab M Selouane Saïdia Taza Midar o Issaguen Zaïo Ouezzane u (Ketama) Targuist Berkane n t a Jebel Tidiquin i n s (2448m) Beni-Snassen Oujda Aknoul Mountains Taounate El-Aïoun Aïn Jebel Aïcha Tazzeka Tizi n' Taourirt Tissa (1980m) Touahar Taza Volubilis Sidi Abdallah Guercif Moulay de Rhiata Fez Gouffre du Friouato Idriss S311 Imper Bab Bou-Idir El-Merhasiyne Tazzeka Bhalil National Sefrou Aïn Meknès P24 Park Benimathar I al C al I Imouzzer al C Ribat el-Kheir P20 S329 I El-Hajeb t I I Ifrane Jebel es, t Bou Naceur I Ifrane National Park es, Azrou Jebel Bou Iblane(3340m) Mi S3398 ddle Mischliffen Boulemane Mi Outat-Oulad- 'Ain Leuh ddle Timahdite Enjil El-Haj S303 a P21 tlas & the & tlas Sources de S330 l'Oum-er-Rbia a Missour tlas & the S3485 Tendrara Itzer Aouli Zaïdia Ksabi e S317 ast Midelt Cirque S3424 C Jaffar iti Tattiouine e Bouarfa ast e Jebel S Ayachi , M , (3737m) I Bi-Tajjite ddleA Rich Ziz Gorges Aïn-Ech-Chair T l as & Imperial Cities, Middle Atlas & the East Highlights th 1 3 6 dive into the warren of explore the outsized enjoy the sound of the e East the medina (p302) looking imperial architecture of sublime at the Festival of for souqs and souvenirs in Meknès (p324) World Sacred Music (p311) H ancient Fez 4 Spend a day and night on in Fez I g 2 Time travel amid the pilgrimage in the holy town of 7 Make like a troglodyte in H l mosaic-strewn Roman ruins of Moulay Idriss (p338) the weird caverns of Gouffre I g (p336) (p351) hts Volubilis 5 Hike in the Ifrane du Friouato National Park (p341) in the Middle Atlas.